Super Soup

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Rather than taking a pill, how about a bowl of soup that delivers A, C, folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamin K in addition to phytochemicals that are thought to play a role in cancer prevention? Plus, it tastes better than a pill! The staple for this easy soup is kale, which is a cold weather vegetable, but is available year round in most parts of the country.

Ingredients: 

¼ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water
¼ cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight in water
4 ½ cups fat-free chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 cup chopped green kale
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
½ onion, diced (½ - 1 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
½ large potato, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 

Directions:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and beans. In a large pot combine them with the chicken (or vegetable) stock and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the beans are cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.

Serves: 6 Servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories       108 
Fat (g)     1
Saturated Fat (g)     0
Cholesterol (mg)     -
Sodium (mg)     -
Carbohydrate (g)     16
Fiber (g)     5
Protein (g)     9
Calcium (mg)     -

Feta & Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
5 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

Preparation:

Preheat broiler.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates.
Remove from heat; stir in cheeses and rind.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket.
Stuff about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket.
Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork.
Arrange pork on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well.
Brush half of mustard mixture over pork.
Broil 6 minutes; turn pork.
Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)

Nutrition Facts (per serving) 

Calories	232
Fat (g)	8.6
Saturated Fat (g)	3.4
Cholesterol (mg)	73
Sodium (mg)	640
Carbohydrate (g)	7.2
Fiber (g)	2.8
Protein (g)	32.1
Calcium (mg)	186

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Cilantro Pesto

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Ingredients: 

Nonstick cooking spray
8 large portobello mushrooms (5-6 in. diameter)
1 cup zucchini, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup loosely packed spinach leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon fat-free parmesan cheese
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-2 Tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except olive oil, lemon juice and water in a blender and pulse blend until coarsely chopped. Gradually add olive oil and lemon juice until mixture is finely chopped. Add enough water to make a paste. Stir in salt and pepper and use at room temperature. Spinach-Cilantro Pesto is also great with pasta and other vegetables. Remove mushroom stems and chop. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms stems, zucchini, carrots and green onions and sauté until crisp-tender (8-10 minutes). Stir in breadcrumbs and Pesto and season with salt and pepper. Spoon vegetable mixture into caps. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange mushrooms on pan and roast at 425 degrees until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with cheese and continue roasting for 5 minutes.

Makes: 4 Servings
Serving Size: 2 Stuffed Mushrooms
 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories       185
Fat (g)     4
Saturated Fat (g)     1
Cholesterol (mg)     7
Sodium (mg)     206
Carbohydrate (g)     19
Fiber (g)     6
Protein (g)     16
Calcium (mg)     0

Beef Kabobs

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Ingredients: 

Portion: 1 Kabob
Yields: 6 Kabobs

Meat Marinade with Canola Oil (see recipe below) - 1 Cup
Top Sirloin Steak, Raw, 6 oz CUBED 1 1/4" - 1 Pound
(3 CUBES PER KABOB)
Green Peppers, Fresh CUT 1 1/2" x 1" – 3 Ounces
(2 CUBES PER KABOB)Yellow Onions, Fresh WEDGE CUT 6 – 6 Ounces
(2 WEDGES PER KABOB)Mushrooms, Fresh WHOLE – 2 Ounces
(1 PER KABOB)Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh – 4 Ounces
(1 PER KABOB)

Meat Marinade Ingredients:

Portions: 1 Cup
Yields: 1 Cup
Canola Oil – 1/3 Cup
Sherry (Do not use cooking sherr) – 1 Tablespoon
Soy Sauce – 3 Tablespoon
Worcestershire Sauce – 1 Tablespoon
Ground Mustard, Dry – ½ Teaspoon
Salt – ¼ Teaspoon
Ground Black Pepper – 1/8 Teaspoon
Parsley Leaves, Fresh MINCED – ½ Teaspoon
Red Wine Vinegar – 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon
Water – 2 Tablespoon
Garlic Powder – 2 Teaspoon
Pasteurized Fresh Lemon Juice (CONV) – 3 Tablespoon

Instructions:
NOTE: Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes before baking
1. Prepare Meat Marinade: Combine all ingredients. Mix until well -blended according to recipe.
2. Pour marinade over beef cubes. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.
3. Place ingredients on each skewer in the following order: green pepper, beef cube, onion wedge, green pepper, beef cube, onion wedge, mushroom, beef cube, cherry tomato.
4. Brush kabobs with remaining marinade. Bake in a 350 degree F. standard oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories       168
Fat (g)     7.5
Saturated Fat (g)     1.7
Cholesterol (mg)     34
Sodium (mg)     194
Carbohydrate (g)     5.4
Fiber (g)     1
Protein (g)     19.2
Calcium (mg)     23

Tuscan Style Grilled Chicken Kabobs

recipe courtesy of The American Heart Association

Description
These grilled chicken-and-vegetable kebabs feature the flavors of sunny Tuscany -- lemon, rosemary, garlic, and oregano.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, all visible fat discarded, cut into 16 cubes
16 whole button or cremini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce each), ends trimmed
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 16 pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch squares

Cooking Instructions

In a medium nonmetallic bowl, stir together the lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The chicken can marinate for up to 8 hours for even more flavor. Turn several times if marinating for more than 30 minutes.

Soak eight 8-inch wooden skewers for at least 10 minutes in cold water to keep them from charring, or use metal skewers. Preheat the grill on medium high.

Drain the chicken and discard the marinade. Alternately thread the chicken, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes on the skewers. Lightly spray all sides with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and tomatoes to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, grill the kebabs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (8 to 12 minutes total), or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are tender. Serve with the rice on the side.

Nutritional Information Per serving:
Calories Per Serving 213
Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Trans Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 66 mg, Sodium 16 g,
Carbohydrates 16 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, Protein 31 g

Dietary Exchanges:
1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 very lean meat