Skinny Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushroom caps are generously stuffed with a combination of sautéed baby spinach, chopped mushrooms, bacon, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. A lighter alternative to traditional stuffed mushrooms yet loaded with tons of flavor. The stuffing is so good, I could eat it by the spoonful!

I like the flavor of real bacon, so I buy center cut which is a bit leaner than regular bacon and I drain it well after cooking. Can you make them with turkey bacon? Sure, if you don't eat pork that would work.

Can you make these vegetarian? Why not replace the bacon with a little Feta cheese and chopped fresh herbs.

Can you make them ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare the stuffing ahead, then fill and bake them right before serving.

They are only 34 calories each or for those of you on Weight Watchers, only 1 point each so I know what some of you will be making Superbowl Sunday!! Enjoy!

Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Escarole and Beans

Penne pasta is tossed with garlicky escarole, lean Italian chicken sausage, cannellini beans, crushed red pepper and grated cheese. I cannot even begin to describe how good this is, I hope the photos can at least do this dish some justice! If you can't find escarole use kale.

I've tried many alternatives to Italian pork sausage, not because I don't like pork but because I have a hard time finding lean pork sausage. I'm a bit picky when it comes to Italian food growing up here in New York where we're surrounded by great Italian restaurants and stores  so finding a good sausage alternative is not easy. I must say, I'm pretty impressed with Al Fresco's uncooked Italian sweet chicken sausage if your lucky enough to find that near you give it a try. I can't vouch for their cooked sausages since I haven't tried them. Turkey Italian sausage would work just as well in this dish.

This pasta is a winner with everyone in my home, even the picky kids. You can easily make this gluten free by using brown rice pasta. Or make it vegetarian by leaving the sausage out, using vegetable broth and adding another cup of beans. Enjoy!!

Petite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaves

Valentine's Day is here before you know it, so if chocolate is something you crave, why not make it healthier with these petite loaves made with love... by you!

Whole wheat mini banana bread made with ripe bananas and chocolate chips are sure to leave a smile on anyone's face.

These make 8 large muffins in comparison to using a normal sized muffin tin which gives you 12-13. If you don't have these Petite Loaf Pans you can use one large 8 x 5-inch loaf instead, cooking time will be closer to 50-60 minutes or use a regular sized muffin tin, baking them for about 25 minutes.

Because they are so large the nutritional info is a little higher, so I have also provided the nutritional info for regular sized muffins. Perhaps these cute silicone heart shaped muffin tins?

If you prefer nuts to chocolate in your banana bread see my banana nut bread recipe, hope you enjoy!!

Asian Flank Steak Skewers

Thin strips of grilled flank steak marinated with lime juice, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce. These skewers disappear quickly at every gathering, so you may want to make a lot!

With the Superbowl just around the corner I thought these would be a great appetizer for the steak lovers in your home. I myself love beef and enjoy these as an appetizer, but I also make them for dinner served with rice and roasted broccoli on the side.

You can make this on an indoor grill, a cast iron grill pan or make them outside on the grill. Always cut the meat across the grain at a slight angle with a very sharp knife.

Kid-friendly, husband-friendly, and just plain old good!

Skinny Green Monster Smoothie

A vitamin packed smoothie, perfect for breakfast or lunch on the go!

Ok, so I'll admit, first time trying a green monster smoothie... and quite honestly I was not prepared to like it!

I mean, spinach in a smoothie?? Even though green may be my favorite color, it sounded way too healthy even for my taste! But it's January, a month of new beginnings, resolutions and cleaning our bodies so I was willing to take a chance.

So, after someone recently sent me their recipe I took a chance and tried it for myself. What's the worst that could happen? If I don't like it, I'll just toss it, right?

I had all the ingredients on hand and put them in my blender. Myself, my teenager and my aunt just watched as the blender ran and the smoothie turned into a shade of bright green.

I was the first to test it out, and not bad! Good actually! All I really tasted was the peanut butter and banana, nothing else really stood out. I could get used to this! They all agreed, even my picky teenager thought it was good!

So, why should you try a GREEN MONSTER?? Vitamins!! A, C, K, iron, fiber, folate, lutein, magnesium, potassium, protein and calcium! Give it a try and see what you think!

Five Spice Roasted Chicken Legs

Oven roasted chicken legs take on exotic Asian flavors by the addition of a little Chinese five-spice.

An easy weeknight dish, the chicken is marinated in soy sauce, ginger, shallots, garlic and Chinese five-spice then roasted in the oven. Serve this with jasmine rice or brown fried rice and a vegetable for a complete meal.

I chose to use whole legs with thighs and drumsticks attached as opposed to using a whole chicken, because I find it easier to serve and I love dark meat, but you can make this with a whole chicken, thighs, legs, breasts... whatever you prefer! The sodium is hard to calculate because half of the marinade gets tossed so keep that in mind.

Happy Chinese New Year!!
 

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sautéed ground chicken thighs, shiitake mushrooms and water chestnuts seasoned with Asian spices are served in a crispy cold lettuce leaf with a spicy hoisin dipping sauce. I can't think of a more playful appetizer to celebrate the Year of The Dragon!

Some of you probably know how much I love using lettuce leaves as a wrap for everything from Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps to BLT Lettuce wraps. They are the perfect low-carb solution and don't interfere with the flavors of the filling. This recipe is no exception, you can taste all the Asian goodness... pure delight in every bite!

This recipe was ever so slightly adapted from my friend Bee, of Rasa Malaysia's first cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao. Whether you are celebrating The Chinese New Year, The Superbowl, or just having some friends over, I highly recommend making these... double or triple the recipe for a large crowd!

And speaking of Chinese New Year, I have a new cookbook giveaway this week! Two lucky winners will have a chance to win their own copy of Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao. For a chance to win, visit Skinny Bits and leave a comment there (US residents only)!

Oh and one more thing I want to mention, if you want to turn this into a main dish, make some steamed rice and serve each wrap with rice and chicken, it's very good! Enjoy!!

Skinny Macaroni and Cheese Soup with Broccoli

 

A classic, kid-friendly comfort dish made into a soup. A great way to sneak some veggies into those picky tummies while enjoying a tasty warm bowl of soup.

I was a picky kid growing up, I remember the first time I liked broccoli it was smothered with melted cheese. Not really a bad thing because I got my serving of dairy and it was the start of my adoration for broccoli.

Using the same principal, this soup will please those picky palates while still serving plenty of vegetables such as carrots, celery and broccoli. You can cook the broccoli to your family's liking. Adults tend to like it tender crisp, while I find for the kids, if you cook it longer it dissolves into the soup making it impossible for them to pick out and they may even realize broccoli is not so bad after all!

Personally, I found one cup was satisfying as I had this for lunch, but if you would like to make this four servings for a larger bowl, the Weight Watcher Points would increase to 8 points plus, and the calories would increase to 315 per bowl. Enjoy!!