Smokey Cheddar with Hatch Green Chile Soup

Eat From Eden

It’s raining out. The kind of rain that lets you know fall is around the corner. The kind that makes you want to curl up with a bowl of warm soup. I love the fall, and I can’t think of a better recipe than this soup to invite the fall in. In the back ground playing is At Last by Etta James and I’m slowly swaying to it as I daydream while roasting some green chilies… The smell of the chilies and cumin is very intoxicating and completely warming to the senses. I kid you not, my mouth is watering with anticipation!! I can’t wait till the first bite 🙂

So that I’m not the only one with a mouth-watering I will tell you….

What You Will Need:

4 Chicken breast, roasted then chopped (If you are vegetarian, skip this part)

10 Hatch Green Chiles, roasted, then chopped

3 Large…

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Mission Figs with Strawberries and Ricotta Cheese

Eat From Eden

I can’t even to being telling you how busy EDEN has been lately!! SOOO many changes are happening right now that I can hardly catch my breath! I miss you guys…  I just had to sneak in a quick recipe for you all until things settle down a bit and I return.

When times get hectic and busy it’s so easy to reach for something unhealthy to snack on. But during hectic times it’s so important to treat your body good so it can run around for you. Seriously, keep some good staples in your fridge for those busy times. Think about it, by the time you get in your car and go through a drive thru you could have already made yourself and eaten a healthy and nutritious snack, a snack that your body can turn into fuel to get you through the day.

You deserve the BEST don’t settle…

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Lettuce cups with Shiitake and Peanuts

Eat From Eden

Oh you tasty little bites I love you! There is so much flavor in this dish without having to use many ingredients.  I just love when you can make something taste spectacular with less ingredients. The key to simple cooking is to celebrate each individual ingredient and coach their wonderful, natural flavor out of them and marry them with the other simple ingredients.

The song “Like I’m Going To Lose You” by Meghan Trainor is playing and it’s the sweetest song. If you’re ever out to dinner and this song plays, take notice. Couples will sit closer to one another, or give a sweet kiss to their partners forehead. If they are lucky enough to be eating these lettuce cups at the same time, I can guarantee a beautiful evening 🙂

What You Will Need:

1 Pkg Ground White Turkey Breast (99% fat-free) (If you are vegetarian…

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After Writing 194 Articles Our Health Problems Only Continue To Worsen

Originally posted on All About Healthy Choices:
I just realized that I’ve published 194 articles on various health care topics over the last year. I have spent many hours critically evaluating the content and the delivery of each and every…

Beet and Kale Salad with Lemon Apple Vinaigrette

 

Today my house is silent of all unnecessary noise. I usually have music playing constantly in the background but today the sound of the wind blowing through the newly sprouted leaves is all I hear. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths and suddenly I’m transported to a sandy beach somewhere and I’m close to smelling the distinctive scent of the ocean….. “Bark” “Bark” Darn it October! (My little teacup poodle) I was almost there!! Well so much for that! Lets go put on Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5. “Give me something to believe in” Is blaring out of the speakers and I’m having a hard time doing my food prep because I just want to dance to it. Good thing this tasty salad is so easy to whip up along with the homemade vinaigrette. This salad is packed full of yummy super foods that will make even a picky eater say “not bad.” The homemade vinaigrette adds a tangy zip to the salad without taking away the natural flavor of the beautiful ingredients. I love this salad and so you can make it for who you love I will tell you..

What You Will Need:

4 Golden Beets, peeled and diced

4 Cups Kale, leaves torn to bite sized pieces

6 Brussel Sprouts, grated

1/2 Red Cabbage, shredded

4 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds (Buy unsalted, raw ones)

4 Tbsp Almonds, sliced (Buy unsalted, raw ones)

4 Tbsp Dried Cranberries (Buy no sugar added ones)

1 Cup Fat Free  Feta Cheese, crumbled

Pinch of Salt, and Black Pepper

For the vinaigrette:

1 Large Lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1/2 Cup Apple Juice (freshly pressed if you can)

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

Prep your Mis en Place 🙂

Pre heat your oven to 400.

Place the diced beets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and black pepper.

Place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, whip up your vinaigrette.

In a glass bowl, juice the lemon.

Next, add in the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic.

Drizzle in the olive oil.

Oh I love you olive oil! Set aside a little to rub on your face and hands when you’re done cooking 🙂

Whisk well.

There is something very satisfying about making your own dressings. They are the best, and I promise once you’ve had the best there is no going back!

After the beets are done roasting, place them in a large bowl with the kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, almonds, dried cranberries, feta and your tasty vinaigrette. Toss or shake it.

Pair with a beautiful Red Zinfandel like this…

You now how a very satisfying meal that will make you smile.

Makes 4 servings:

296.5 Calories,13.5 G fat, 38 G carb, 5.3 G fiber, 10.1 G pro, 17.1 G sugar

Cheers to Another Waistline Friendly Meal!!

KISSES!

Jicama Salad with Radish and Avocado

 

It’s finally raining here in OZ and I can’t tell you how much we need it! I have all the windows open in my home and the smell of the first rain of the season is intoxicating! Lightly in the back ground Come Undone by Duran Duran is playing and as the breeze blows my curtains I can hear the distant laughter of my Baby Eden who has gone home echoing in my mind… I miss the way he smells, the way he looks at me, and the way his sweet hand felt on my cheek. I wonder if he thinks of me as much as I think of him??

Oh No EDEN don’t cry!!

Oh but I can’t help it! I miss him so much. He was my little companion during my morning coffee, afternoon walks, and evening wine. Goodness EDEN! Maybe I need to add a little jalapeno to my freshly juiced kale?? That ought to snap me out of it.

Sigh…. I want to be around for my family for a long time so I have been looking at my diet to see what kind of nutritional tweaks I could do to it. I noticed I do not have a lot of fat in my diet good or bad so I need a recipe that will add that healthy fat into my diet without hurting my waistline and folks I got it! So you can get to making this yummy salad to be around your family members longer, I will tell you….

What You Will Need:

2 Avocados, cubed

2 C Jicama, shredded

1 1/2 C Radishes, sliced thinly

4 Tbsp Raw Pumpkin Seeds (No oil or salt added)

1/4 C Dried Cherries or Currants (No sugar added)

** If possible, buy your pumpkin seeds and dried cherries in bulk. It is truly much cheaper.

For The Dressing:

1 C Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Orange, juiced (I like the sumo kinds this time of year if you are really lucky Navel oranges are in season.)

1 Lime, juiced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

pinch of Salt and Pepper

Now that you have all that you need,

Prep your Mis en Place 🙂    Remember doing this makes cooking more enjoyable and easier.

In a large glass bowl, add in the sliced radishes, diced avocado, cherries, and raw pumpkin seeds.

Next, peel the jicama, then using a cheese grader shred the jicama.

Like this! Then add to the glass bowl with the rest of your dry ingredients.

In a separate small glass bowl, add in the plain greek yogurt, and the juice from the orange.

Then add in the juice from the lime.

Next, add in the olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Whisk well.

Pour the dressing over the salad then cover with a lid and shake it, shake it, shake it! Oh shake your hips too while you are at it 🙂

There you go! Wasn’t that easy? You now have a salad that is bursting with heart healthy fat and overflowing with fantastic flavor!!! Look at that fiber!

Makes 4 Servings: 290 cals, 16 G fat, 30 G carbs, 9 G pro, 6 G fiber, 4 G sugar

Cheers To Another Waistline Friendly Meal!

Kisses 🙂

Sweet and Sour Skewers

 

I really had fun making this dish. What made it so fun was to have my daughter in law help me come up with the idea, and make it with me 🙂 Watching her slowly cut the veggies up to a chefs precision was delightful! Not to mention being able to glance to the side to see Baby Eden watching me cook with absolute delight in his eyes when he sees me. I die!  Cooking with her while listening to Stevie Nicks Stand Back sipping on sparkling cucumber water made for a delightful evening, especially when everyone who got to eat it says “That’s a Favorite, that’s a favorite!!” I look forward to coming up with new ideas on how to make some of our favorite foods waistline friendly with her.

So that you can get to making this dish for someone you love, I will tell you….

What You Will Need:

I Pkg Lean Ground White Turkey Breast

2 Lg Red Bell Peppers, chopped in to 1 inch pieces

1 Bunch Green Onions, minced with the white and green parts separated

1 Lg can of Pineapple chunks (NO SUGAR ADDED!) separate the pineapple from the juice, but save it for your sauce. Set aside 1/2 Cup of the pineapple and mince.

1 Lg Carrot, shredded

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated and minced

2 Tbsp Chinese Five Spice

For the Sauce:

Juice from the pineapple

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Crushed Red Peppers

2 Tbsp Ketchup

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar (Or rice wine vinegar)

Now that you have what you need,

Prep your Mis en Place 🙂

I need to stress a little how easy it is to make this dish. Most meals are very easy to make if you do your Mis en Place first.

Pre heat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine the turkey, shredded carrot, minced green onion (White and light green parts only), minced ginger, chinese five spice, and minced pineapple.

Roll into bite sized balls and place on parchment paper then bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, in a glass bowl combine the pineapple juice, crushed red peppers, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar.

Whisk well.

In a pan on the stove set to medium high heat, add in the green parts of the green onion with the red bell pepper.

Cook untill small black marks appear on the bell pepper then add in the remaining pineapple.

By now the meat should be cooked, so add the meat into the pan with the bell peppers in it.

Add the sauce you made to the pan.

Simmer for three minutes and remove from heat.

Assemble your skewers meat, bell pepper, pineapple continue.

Drizzle with the sauce from the pan, then pour yourself a glass of wine and watch your loved ones face light up when they take their first bite!

Makes 4 Servings:

243.5 Cals, 1.2 G fat, 29.6 G carb, 2.3 G fiber, 28.6 G pro, 17.5 G sugar

Extra: You can always make a double batch of these to freeze for a later date.

Cheers!! To Another Waistline Friendly Meal!

Kisses

***In Loving Memory of Peaches….. He was OUR baby.

Pork Bites with Fennel, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Oh my goodness UFP Alert! (Ugly Food Photo) No matter how tasty a dish can turn out sometimes the dish just does not want to cooperate during a photo shoot and it turns out UGLY! But pairing it with this….

HELPS a lot! It’s a lovely Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. If any of you have any ideas on how to get your food to cooperate during a shoot, let me know LOL.

“I was made to LOVE you” by Toby Mac is playing from my computer as I sit here holding Baby Eden. I’m mesmerised by his wonderful loving personality and the smile he constantly displays on his face. This Song is perfect for us. My baby is getting hungry so I will tell you…

What You Will Need:

1 Lb. Lean ground pork (Lamb would go so well with this if you can find some at your local butcher. I would add some feta cheese to it as well.)

1 Fennel bulb, minced

1 C. Sun dried tomatoes. chopped

2 Tbsp. Rosemary, minced

2 Tbsp. Dried oregano

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1 Red onion, sliced

2 Red bell peppers, sliced

1/2 Tsp. Olive oil

Bib lettuce leaves for serving

Did you get everything??

Prep your Mis en Place 😉

Pre heat your oven to 385.

In a mixing bowl, add in the pork, fennel, tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, and salt.

Gently mix the ingredients, and roll into bite sized balls and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. (Oh cookies sound good!)

Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. That’s enough time for the pork to cook but still allow some “bite” left in the fennel. Speaking of fennel, I just love how this dish allows for those “hidden” veggies, plus it allows for more flavor to explode!

While the pork bites are cooking, in a pan set to medium high heat cook the bell pepper with the onion, and olive oil until soft.

Serve the bites on the leaf of the bib lettuce and top with the sautéed bell pepper and onion.This dish is packed with so much belly filling protein and healthy fiber! I’m so pleased!!! Yum!!

Serves 4 people:

191.5 Cals, 7.5 G fat, 10.9 G carb, 3.1 G fiber, 22.6 G pro, 5.4 G sugar

CHEERS! To another waistline friendly meal!

KISSES!

Zucchini Muffins

 

 Oh my goodness!! If only you all knew what it took to get me back up and running!! Thank you so much to my daughter in law Alex! I couldn’t have done it without her. I have truly missed you all and have enjoyed smiling through your blogs, testing some of your recipes, and thinking about some of the amazing questions some of you ask in your blogs. As always I love the informative information on health and wellness for the mind and body!

So why would I choose to post a recipe on zucchini muffins of all things? I mean, its been around for decades. Well, I have 2 reasons. 1. Is that I just love it! But I do not like what it does for my waistline. Most of the bread you buy or make carries a whopping 330- 430 calories a SLICE! That is crazy and completely unnecessary! Why would you take such a beautiful, healthy vegetable and cram it with unhealthy sugars?? 2. Is my favorite reason… Baby Eden is here for a visit! Who doesn’t want to walk into their grandmother’s house having it smell like bread!? So let’s get to it!

I’m listening to “I Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum while I sip on a sparkling water trying to hold back the tears this song provokes thinking of a loved one. (Cooking with emotions is good for the muffins) 🙂 So turn up the volume, pour yourself a drink, and don’t forget to shake it! Oh I better tell you…

What You Will Need:

3 1/4 C whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 C Truvia baking “sugar”

1 C olive oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 C water

3 C grated zucchini (I like to always use extra zucchini. What better way to sneak in those veggies?)

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 C walnuts, chopped

Now that your all set and back from the store,

Prep Your Mis en Place 🙂 Still my favorite part!

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and sugar. Mix together.

In a separate bowl, combine oil, water, eggs, and lemon juice.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl.

Fold in the zucchini.

Fill up your muffin tins to about 3/4 full, then sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Bake for about 20 minutes then check the muffins by sticking the top with a tooth pick. If it comes out clean, your done! If not, cook for 2-5 more minutes.

You did it! You now have a portioned controlled breakfast, or desert. Let face it, these are good for anytime of the day for any reason!

Serving size: 1 Muffin

190 Cals, 13 g Fat, 20 g Carb, 3 g Fiber, 4 g Sugar

KISSES to another waistline friendly meal!

I missed you!

Buffalo Chicken Wings EDEN Style

OHHH yummy yummy!! During football season I crave Buffalo chicken wings. My mouth waters for that tangy zest! But A girls gotta watch her figure so my wing eating extravaganzas are far and few between until…….Today! I’m telling you, you will think you are eating the real deal once you sink your mouth into one of these babies! I Die! But before I go on, Its happy hour so lets turn up the music (I’m listening to Empire State of Mind by Jay Z to get in the mood.) Now pour yourself a glass of Cakebread Chardonnay and shake it…

Sitting in my kitchen enjoying myself, I’m thinking of how I just love recipes that you can sneak extra vegetables in without noticing, and this dish does not disappoint! Don’t get me wrong, I love my veggies but I do know how helpful it is to sneak them into meals for people who don’t like them. I better let you get to recreating these yummy bites,  so I will tell you…..

What You Will Need:

1 Pk. Ground Chicken Breast

1 Cup Carrots. finely diced (set a few TBSP aside for garnish)

1 Cup Celery, finely diced (set a few TBSP aside for garnish)

1 Small Shallot, finely diced

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1/2 Cup Reduced Fat Blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 Cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

Bib Lettuce, leaves peeled to act like a dish

Now that you are back from the store relaxed and have your music going Prep Your Mis en Place ! Still my favorite part 🙂

Pre heat your oven to 385

In a mixing bowl, add in the chicken, carrots, celery, shallots, garlic, blue cheese, and the hot sauce.

Mix well.

Now start forming the mixture into bite sized balls. like this!

Look at those hidden veggies!

Place them on an oven safe baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. While they are cooking, take this opportunity to enjoy the evening a bit 😉

I love fall evenings. Just the smell in the air is intoxicating. Oh wait, that’s my dinner cooking that smells sooo good. lol

How did a picture of Baby Eden slip in? OH I die!! I just love that face!

Anyways,

After 15 minutes, let the chicken rest for a few minutes then place them in a bib lettuce cup and top off with some extra carrots and celery. If you like, you can add a few more blue cheese crumbles and hot sauce to the top.

Makes 4 servings:

279 Cals, 15.3 G fat, 9.8 G carb, 3.7 G fiber, 25.1 G pro, 5.8 G sugar

EXTRA: You can also use ground white turkey breast for 219 Cals, 4.3 G fat and 34.1 G pro

Cheers! To another Waistline Friendly Meal!

KISSES!!