Tasty Tuesday: All-American Beefy Mac

Thank you Hungry Girl for today’s recipe….

Do you remember Hamburger Helper?  When life was crazy busy – full-time job, active kid and not a lot of time to plan meals, this and macaroni and cheese was a go to meal.  I kind of miss those days so this is a great way to enjoy the same yummy taste in a healthier way.

Whether you call it beefy mac, beefaroni, or American chop suey, a hearty pasta meal full of ground beef and rich tomato sauce rocks. Indulge in our AMAZING recipe without a lick of guilt…

Prep: 20 minutes     Cook: 30 minutes     Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen cauliflower florets
• 4 1/2 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) high-fiber elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
• 1 lb. raw extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less)
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and black pepper
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 2 tbsp. canned tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• Optional seasoning: crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Place cauliflower in a large microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Uncover and stir. Re-cover and microwave for 2 minutes, or until hot. Drain excess liquid.
2. Roughly chop cauliflower, return to the bowl, and cover to keep warm.
3. In a large pot, cook pasta per package instructions, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta, and stir into cauliflower. Re-cover to keep warm.
4. Spray the pot with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and cook and stir until browned, about 4 minutes.
5. To the pot, add ground beef, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stir, and crumble until beef is fully cooked and veggies are soft, about 6 minutes.
6. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot, and stir well. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low, and stir in cauliflower-pasta mixture. Cook until hot and well mixed, about 2 minutes.

Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe (about 2 1/2 cups):  Calories: 375; Fat: 6g; Sodium: 690mg; Carbs: 50g; Fiber: 10g; Sugars: 13.5g; Protein: 33g     PointsPlus® value 9*

Be sure to pack your leftovers for lunch the next day in Thirty One’s Around the Clock Thermal.  This is one of our most versatile totes.  It is great for lunch or snacks anytime, anywhere—work, school, festivals, road trips, pool, beach, golf course, boating or sporting events. The water-resistant thermal lining keeps contents cool and makes cleanup easier. A removable shoulder strap means you can carry it any number of ways, including crossbody for hands-free movement. An interior mesh pocket and exterior front zipper pocket provide separate storage options when needed. Makes a great gift for friends, neighbors, kids, teachers and everyone else on the go!

Have a blessed day!

Tasty Tueseday: Zesty Spanish Cauliflower Rice

Today is another Weight Watcher’s recipe.  I haven’t had the nerve to substitute this for hubby’s favorite Spanish Rice dish yet BUT the day is coming.  I think I will make it for me and let him try it.  Wonder if he will be able to tell the difference??? LOL!

Nutrition facts: 1/4th of recipe (about 1 1/3 cups) is 100 calories, 0.5g total fat (<0.5g sat fat), 571mg sodium, 21g carbs, 6g fiber, 9.5g sugars, 5g protein. Freestyle™ SmartPoints® value 0*

Prep: 10 minutes     Cook: 20 minutes   Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups riced cauliflower (or 5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower)
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste

Directions:

1. If starting with roughly chopped cauliflower, pulse in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed.
2. Bring an extra-large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add pepper and onion. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, including riced cauliflower, and mix well. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 6 minutes.
5. Remove lid. Cook and stir until cauliflower is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

The Tote-ally Thermal may be a bit large to take for lunch BUT it is one of my NEW favorites…actually it has made a comeback! Why you’ll love it: it is tote meets cooler in this fabulous water-resistant bag. With the Leak Lock^® thermal lining which allows for ice to keep food and drinks cool, this is the perfect tote for family outings, picnics, camping, boating or any other outdoor activity. It will also keep things hot if you are headed out to a picnic or family gathering.  The long handles let you carry it over your shoulder to free up your hands, and plenty of pocket space means that there’s a place for everything.

Do you have a favorite recipe?  Share it with me and if we print it, you will receive a FREE gift from me as a thank you.  You can send your recipes to me via email at hopews31@gmail.com

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Cauliflower Rice Recipes

Get creative with your cauliflower rice! These comfort-food-inspired recipes will earn rave reviews…  Yumminess from Hungry Girl...

First up is: Sloppy Jane Stuffed Peppers.  Sloppy joes are yummy… but why let bread have all the fun? Enter peppers! Add cauliflower rice, and prepare to be wowed.

1/4th of recipe (1 stuffed pepper half): 278 calories, 5.5g total fat (2g sat fat), 423mg sodium, 28.5g carbs, 7g fiber, 18g sugars, 28.5g protein.  SmartPoints® value 4*.

Prep: 10 minutes     Cook: 30 minutes     MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

4 large red bell peppers (look for peppers that sit flat when stem ends are up)
2 1/2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower or 1 3/4 cups cauliflower rice
1 1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. molasses
1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1 lb. raw extra-lean ground beef (4% fat or less)
1 cup chopped onion

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Carefully slice off and discard stem ends of bell peppers, about half an inch from the top. Remove and discard seeds. Place peppers cut-side up in a deep 8″ X 8″ baking pan. If they don’t sit flat, gently lean them against the pan sides.
• Bake until soft, 25 – 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, if starting with roughly chopped cauliflower, pulse in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed.
• In a medium bowl, combine crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, honey, red wine vinegar, molasses, and 1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper. Mix until uniform.
• Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add beef, and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper. Cook and crumble for 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add cauliflower rice and onion. Cook and stir until beef is fully cooked and veggies have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Add tomato mixture, and cook and stir until hot, about 3 minutes.
• Blot away excess moisture from bell peppers. Evenly distribute filling among the peppers.

BONUS recipe: Cheesy Broccoli Cauli’ Rice.  Why do broccoli and cheese pair so well together? We can’t explain the secrets of the universe, but we can give you a great recipe featuring the combo plus cauliflower rice.

1/4th of recipe (about 1 1/4 cups): 144 calories, 6g total fat (3g sat fat), 416mg sodium, 17g carbs, 5g fiber, 6g sugars, 8g protein.  SmartPoints® value 3*

Prep: 15 minutes     Cook: 15 minutes     MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients:

5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower or 4 cups cauliflower rice
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
3 cups roughly chopped broccoli
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light/reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

• If starting with roughly chopped cauliflower, pulse in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed.
• In an extra-large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion has slightly softened and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium. Stir in cauliflower rice, broccoli, and broth. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, uncovering occasionally to stir, or until veggies have softened and broth has evaporated.
• Reduce heat to medium low. Add all remaining ingredients, and cook and stir until cheeses have melted and mixture is uniform, about 2 minutes.

Share your favorite recipe with us….. Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

Tasty Tuesday: Swap and Save Calories

The LONG week-end is over.  There is still time to shed a few pounds before the summer season kicks off for real on July 4th.  Try some of these swaps courtesy of Hungry Girl.

1. Go egg-whites only for your morning scramble or omelette. A 3/4-cup serving of liquid egg whites (the equivalent of 3 eggs) is about 100 calories, and 3 whole large eggs are about 215 calories. I like the nutrients from the yolk so I only keep 1 yolk if I am having more than 1 eff.

2. Opt for English muffins over bagels.  The average whole-wheat English muffin has around 130 calories; a wheat bagel has closer to 300.

3. Three words: Powdered. Peanut. Butter. I LOVE Peanut butter. I mean who doesn’t right but who wants all of the calories (or points), right?  PB2 is good and can take the place of PB for less than half the calories.  Want it to be a little creamier?  Add a few extra drops of water.

4. Trade doughy rolls for flat sandwich buns.  These come in lots of flavors including bagels.  These slim 100-calorie versions are really good.

5. Making tuna or chicken salad, use fat-free plain Greek yogurt in place of regular mayo. For every 2 tbsp., you’ll slash over 150 calories!  I am a Miracle Whip Light kind of girl since I can’t have dairy and slash the calories as well.

6. Exchange rice for cauliflower rice.  I will admit, I love this swap BUT I do buy the frozen or bits since I never got it right with my blender.  Mash it up with your potatoes to cut the calories too.

7. Use nonstick spray on your skillet instead of oil. The spray is practically calorie-free, while a 1-tbsp. “glug” of oil runs about 120 calories.

8. Combine finely chopped brown mushrooms with ground beef to cut calories! Replace 4 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef with 2 cups of the mushrooms to save around 100 calories — just think if you were swapping out the fattier stuff!  I need to try this.

9. Spaghetti squash! Zucchini noodles! Veggie noodles are a great calorie saver — ditch conventional carby pasta, and you’ll save around 160 calories per cup.

 10. Eat an orange (or clementines) instead drinking orange juice. OJ has around 112 calories per cup, while a medium orange has just over 60 cals, plus filling fiber.

11. Switch from sugary sodas to zero-calorie carbonated water or seltzer. Or eliminate carbonated beverages totally.  Save about 120 calories per can!

12. Got dip? Use veggies instead of chips to scoop it up. An ounce (about 9 chips) of tortilla chips has around 140 calories and will be gone in no time.  Eat an entire large red bell pepper or about 14 baby carrots instead for around 50 calories.

13. Choose popcorn over chips — you get more volume! A single-serving baggie of Lay’s Classic has 160 calories. You can have 5 whole cups of 94% fat-free popcorn for 100 calories or less.

14. Having a chocolate craving? Why not have a fudge-flavored Enlightened The-Good-for-You Ice Cream Bar for 70 calories (plus 8g protein!).

15. Want something refreshing and sweet? Give fruity ice cream the cold shoulder. A measly 1/2 cup of strawberry ice cream has around 130 calories; have an entire cup of frozen berries for half the calories.

16. Halve the cheese. Cheese is great, but we’re generally served way more than we need. At a restaurant, ask for half of the usual amount to save calories without sacrificing flavor.

17. Request a to-go box right when your meal arrives. Keep a reasonable serving, put the rest in the box, and set it aside for another meal. (Or just split one entrée with a pal when dining out — save calories AND cash!)

18. When at the sandwich shop, opt for mustard over mayo. A tablespoon of full-fat mayo has around 100 calories, while standard yellow mustard has closer to 5. Yes, 5!

19. Trade dressing for salsa. Salad dressing can add hundreds of fatty calories to a healthy meal; 10 – 20 calories’ worth of salsa is a total bargain in comparison!

20. Choose broth-based soups over creamy ones. Fun fact: Yeah, you’ll save calories by selecting a lighter soup option — around 100 vs. 200 — but studies have shown starting a meal with a brothy soup leads people to take in fewer calories overall!

21. Lettuce buns. It’s gotten pretty trendy for restaurants to offer lettuce in place of traditional sandwich and burger buns; this is a stellar way to easily ditch around 200 – 300 calories. Don’t want to be extreme?  Take off the top, and eat the sandwich open faced.

22. Skip whole-milk morning lattes and sugary cappuccinos; grab a coffee with skim milk instead. We’ve been known to carry packets of our favorite natural no-calorie sweetener around for this very purpose.

What are your best tips for cutting calories?  Share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – AMAZING Slow-Cooker Chicken Dish

Thank you Hungry Girl for another AMAZING recipe….

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe (about 1 cup): 213 calories, 4g total fat (1.5g sat fat), 647mg sodium, 18g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 26g protein — SmartPoints™ value 3*  Makes 8 servings.

Prep: 15 minutes   Cook: 3 – 4 hours on high or 7 – 8 hours on low, plus 55 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. raw boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped onion
One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
One 4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
5 cups roughly chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
Optional seasonings: additional salt and black pepper

Directions:

• Place chicken in a slow cooker, and season with pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt. Top with onion, beans, tomatoes, and green chiles.
• Add broth and seasonings, including remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Gently stir.
• Cover and cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or on low for 7 – 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.
• Transfer chicken to a large bowl. Shred with two forks — one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across and shred it. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker, and mix well.
• Pulse cauliflower in a blender until reduced to rice-sized pieces, working in batches as needed. Add cauliflower rice to the slow cooker, and stir to mix.
• If cooking on low heat, increase heat to high.
• Cover and cook for 55 minutes, or until cauliflower rice is tender.
• Serve with a slotted spoon, draining the liquid. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tbsp. cheese.

Here are some other ways to enjoy this Recipe:

On a salad: Spoon a serving over a pile of chopped romaine or shredded iceberg (or your lettuce of choice). So much flavor, you won’t even need dressing!

In a whole-wheat tortilla: Wrap it up, burrito style. Look for natural tortillas with low calorie counts, like La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Organic Tortillas.

In lettuce cups: Crisp lettuce leaves are the perfect vehicle for a shredded-chicken dish. Go for medium-large leaves from a round head of lettuce, like iceberg or butter lettuce.

Omelette style: Cook up an egg-white “pancake” in a skillet, and wrap it around your chicken goodies. Or just scramble your whites, and stir in the chicken. Now that’s how you get a burrito fix at breakfast…

Why not cook a batch up and portion it out for meals, then freeze it for lunches. OR make a batch and take it to your next “potluck dinner”.  Headed out to a tailgate or a potluck dinner, why not keep it hot in Thirty One’s Fresh Market Tote.  

This roomy thermal can fit up to two 9×13 pans inside or a crock pot, so it’s perfect for potlucks and family picnics! It also has expandable sides just the right size to fit 2-liter bottles inside. Plus, it comes with long handles so it’s super easy to carry! Approx. 10.5″H x 15.5″L x 10″D (snapped down); 15″H (when top is expanded)  Make sure you personalize it so you be sure to get it back.

Share your favorite recipe with us.  Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!