Beet and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, cut into pieces
3 beets, peeled and sliced
1 onion, diced
3 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Directions:

1. Saute onions in a large pot until they become clear. Add the pieces of cauliflower and slices of beets. Saute for a few minutes.

2. Add the water, salt and pepper and cover for about 30 minutes or until everything is soft.

3. Puree the soup with an immersion blender under perfectly smooth. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Seared Scallops with Spinach Tomato Orzo

Ingredients:

1 pound sea scallops
1 package orzo pasta
2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced
1 bag spinach
1 onion, diced
1 bunch scallions, diced
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare the scallops by drying them completely on a paper towel and seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a pot, boil water and cook the orzo pasta.

3. In a saucepan, saute the onions, scallions, spinach and tomatoes together with the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Once the pasta has cooked, add it to the spinach and tomato mixture. Top with parmesan cheese and mix throughout.

5. In a saucepan, heat up some olive oil and place the scallops in the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes without touching them to create a crispy crust. Turn and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Once cooked, let rest on a paper towel.

6. Serve the scallops on top of the spinach tomato orzo pasta. Enjoy!

Fresh Mint Lemonade

Ingredients:

5 packets of Splenda
6 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh whole mint leaves

Directions:

1. Squeeze all of the lemons and mix the lemon juice with the water.

2. Then mix in the Splenda and add sweetness to taste.

3. Finally, add the mint leaves for garnish and keep in the fridge.

Zucchini and Basil Risotto

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In the 2-quart sauce pan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Keep it hot but not boiling.

2. In the 3-quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sauté slowly until soft. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the rice is translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Reduce temperature to low. Add the hot broth to the rice mixture one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladleful of broth. Towards the end of cooking, add the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until all the broth has been added and the rice is completely done.

4. Test the risotto to make sure it’s al dente, but not too hard. If it’s still a little crunchy, add a ladleful of water and continue stirring. When risotto is ready, remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, sliced
teriyaki sauce
pineapple slices
whole wheat buns
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season the ground turkey with salt, pepper, and teriyaki sauce. Add other spices to taste. Mix the meat together and form into 4 hamburger patties.

2. In a pan, saute the onion until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

3. After, saute the pineapple briefly, until browned.

4. Finally, cook the turkey patties on a pan until cooked through. Serve with the onions and pineapple on a whole wheat bun. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites or 1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease bottoms of 12 regular-size muffin cups, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup.

2. Mix milk, applesauce, oil, vanilla and egg whites in large bowl, using fork or wire whisk. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, using spoon, just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.

Broccoli and Squash Quiche

Ingredients:

2 store bought whole wheat pie crusts
2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
1 zucchini, sliced
1 summer squash, sliced
1 onion, sliced
6 eggs
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the frozen pie crusts defrost at room temperature.

2. Saute the broccoli, onion, zucchini and squash in a large saute pan until soft. Season with salt, pepper and any other favorite spices.

3. Separate the vegetable mixture into the pie crusts evenly.

4. In a bowl, mix the eggs and milk together. Pour this on top of the vegetables until they are covered. Top with some shredded cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for about an hour, or until the top of the quiche has become golden brown. Enjoy!