Light Yummy Desserts Make a Great Treat!

Just when you asked yourself… “Is there nothing more?”.. along comes dessert! Dessert makes you feel decadent and like you aren’t depriving yourself.. so what if you can’t snack after dinner… you’ve got dessert! Yummy, low calorie, low fat cookies, cake, pies puddings, and more!

So go ahead indulge yourself a little… spoil yourself this weekend.. make up a yummy dessert from one of the resources below.. I have also picked one for you that I hope you will enjoy.

Black Forrest Banana Split
2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
2 bananas, split lengthwise
16 halves walnut halves
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cherry concentrate

Directions
Spoon ricotta into a dessert dish and place a banana half on each side of the cheese. Put the walnut halves on top and dust with the cocoa powder. Drizzle the cherry concentrate on top.

Above Recipe from: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/desserts/low-calorie/low-calorie-dessert-recipes/?page=5

Healthy Dessert Recipes
Low Calorie Dessert Guide
CalorieKing – Low Fat Recipes

Go Ahead and Beef It Up!

Ok, so you shouldn’t eat beef everyday of the week but like I say.. you can have anything you want in moderation.. if you love beef like I do and can’t live without your red meat.. go ahead and enjoy it once or twice a week. Just try to choose lean cuts and use the palm rule.. your serving shouldn’t be any bigger than the palm of your hand. Mix it up with lots of grilled  vegetables, whole wheat pasta or rice and you have an awesome dinner.

Charred Steak and Veggies with Orzo Pasta

Preparation:

Source: Canadian Living – Food section
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You can eat pasta!
As you know, I am a firm believer that we can eat anything we want as long as we make wise choices. I love pasta and try to plan to have one meal with it every week.. now the difference this year is that we have a large salad before the meal and a smaller pasta serving with dinner. There are lots of healthy ways to make your pasta as well.. use less meat or no meat.. many people love pasta with just sauce or vegetables. Use lean beef.. or even ground chicken. Consider using less cheese or low fat cheese alternatives. Put crushed tomatoes, onions and peppers cooked with your favorite spices over your noodles instead of spaghetti sauce. Use whole wheat or spinach pasta instead of white flour pasta. So go ahead and enjoy your pasta! I know I will.. and remember you can change any recipe to suit your own tastes.

Of course you can always make a bigger batch of sauce, shred extra cheese or keep leftover pasta in the freezer for a quick meal on a night you are rushed or too tired to cook a meal from scratch… and remember you can modify a recipe to lower the calories and fat!

Linda’s Lasagna – 8 servings

1 pound lean ground beef  (I use 1/2 pound… or no meat at all!)
1 onion chopped   (when rushed, I use a can of pasta sauce instead of these four ingredients)
2 cans tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes – (It is nice to put a fresh tomato in even if you used pasta sauce)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt  – (no salt needed if you used pasta sauce)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar – (Skip the sugar if you used pasta sauce)

12 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg

9 lasagna noodles
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Recipe Week – Baked Halibut

I love fish and it is extremely good for you, but sometimes it gets a bit boring.. one thing I do sometimes is coat my fish with coconut milk and then crushed whole grain cheerios.. which is very tasty, but I don’t always want a batter on my fish. Here is the recipe I have selected for today.

Baked Halibut

Halibut: 4 filets, 6-8 oz. each

Capers with juice: 1 tbsp
Dill pickle relish: 1 tbsp
Lemons: 2
Canola mayonnaise: 3/4 cup
Black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and arrange the halibut in a canola-sprayed baking dish; sprinkle with capers and relish.

2. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish, then spread mayonnaise over the filets.
3. Sprinkle generously with black pepper and bake till barely done – about ten minutes for inch-thick filets.
4. Split one open with a fork and check; if the fish is still translucent, it’s not done. When fish is done, it’s opaque.

SOURCE: 1001 Recipe.com – Go there for some excellent recipes!