Serves six

6 chicken milanesas

FOR THE FRESH TOMATO SALSA:
½ pound cherry tomatoes – halved
2 TBS chopped capers
1 tsp. fresh thyme – chopped
½ TBS chopped parsley
1 garlic clove- minced
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Place the tomatoes, capers, thyme, parsley and garlic in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour dressing over tomatoes and toss to coat well. Set aside.

Suggested sides – Baby Smashed Potatoes or Sweet Potato Chips

¼ salsa – CALORIES 75.39; FAT 6.9 grs (sat 0.97; mono 4.96; poly 0.8); PROTEIN 0.75 grs ; FIBER 1.04 grs; CARBS 3.6 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.5 mg; SODIUM 712.52 mg; CALCIUM 13.42 mg

Print the Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe Here

Print the Chicken Milnesas Recipe Here

Breaded chicken can be made fairly easily. I like making a lot at once because these freeze beautifully. You can eat these as is with you side of choice or you can use them for making meals like chicken Parmesan. Whatever you decide, this is what you need for these:

Makes 12 Milanesas

2 cups white flour
2 cups bread crumbs
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
Salt & Pepper
2 eggs – lightly beaten
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts – about 6 oz. each

Place the flour in a shallow pan. Add 1 tsp. garlic powder, the paprika and cumin. Add salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Place the bread crumbs in another shallow pan and add ½ garlic powder. Add salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.

Place the eggs in a bowl and beat lightly.

Cut each breast in half. Using a sharp knife, butterfly each half breast. Cut these in half as well.

Place the chicken on a board and pound with a meat mallet. If you would prefer, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the meat until thin but do not beat it to a pulp.

Place each individual piece the flour. Shake off the excess. Place each piece – one by one – into the eggs. Shake off the excess. Place each piece into the bread crumbs and coat well. Shake off the excess.

Place some oil in a skillet and heat well. Add the milanesas into the pan and allow browning on the bottom. Flip and finish cooking. The process should take about 7 to 8 minutes in total.

Place the cooked milanesas on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve and enjoy!

CALORIES 234.76; FAT 5.92 grs (sat 1.64; mono 2.37; poly 1.46); PROTEIN 14.59 grs; FIBER 1.56 grs; CARBS 29.48 grs; CHOLESTEROL 58.21 mg; IRON 2.44 mg; SODIUM 559 mg; CALCIUM 48.53 mg

Print the Chicken Milnesas Recipe Here

Shrimp tacos are so fresh and easy to make. They are great for these days that the weather is starting to get warm. The beauty of tacos is that you really do not need a whole lot of ingredients to make a wonderful meal. Here is what you are going to need for this:

FOR THE SAUCE:
¼ cup cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 TBS lime juice
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 TBS chopped cilantro

FOR THE SHRIMP:
1 pound shrimp – peeled, de-veined and halved
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo – chopped
½ a large lime – juiced
½ cup chopped cilantro

FOR THE CABBAGE SALAD:
2 cups sliced green cabbage
2 tomatoes – peeled and diced
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 large lime – juiced
Salt

Corn tortillas

• Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt. Set aside.
• Heat 2 TBS of vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and chipotle. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp. Mix well. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes – until shrimp turns pink. Add the cilantro. Mix well. Set aside.
• Place all the cabbage salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
• Heat your tortillas. Place two tortillas on a plate. Smear some sauce on the bottom.
• Top with shrimp and cabbage salad.
• Serve with a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Print the Chipotle Shrimp Tacos Recipe Here

Black beans burgers are a great alternative to beef. They are full of protein and very low in fat. You can go ahead and make a sandwich with them or serve them as I did with a cabbage, tomato, cilantro and lime salad. Here is what you need for this:

2 – 15 oz. cans black beans –drained and rinsed
1 large garlic clove
3 TBS mayonnaise
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 small chipotle pepper (or ½ a large) – optional
1/3 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup minced red onion
1 TBS chopped cilantro

• Place on of the cans of drained and rinsed beans in the food processor.
• Place the second can into a bowl.
• Add the garlic, mayo, cumin, oregano. Chipotle and bread crumbs to the food processor. Process until beans are mashed and all ingredients are incorporated.
• Add the mashed beans to the bowl of whole beans. Add red onion and cilantro.
• Mix well and form patties.
• Heat a skillet with a little bit of oil. Add the patties and cook until bottom forms a brown crust. Flip burger and cook until second sides browns as well.
• Serve in a sandwich with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, red onion and tomato OR topped with cabbage salad.

CABBAGE SALAD:
1 small green cabbage head – sliced
2 medium tomatoes – chopped
¾ cup chopped cilantro
1 large lime – juiced
Salt to taste
• Mix cabbage, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl. Add lime juice and season with salt.

Patty no bread or salad – CALORIES 220.75; FAT 4.41 grs (sat 0.48; mono 1.21; poly 2.06); PROTEIN 11.44 grs ; FIBER 12.77 grs; CARBS 42.07 grs; CHOLESTEROL 3.75 mg; IRON 4.11 mg; SODIUM 1702.68 mg; CALCIUM 146.96 mg

Print the Black Bean Burger Recipe Here

Vegetable soup is loaded in nutrients and quite easy to make. Here is a step-by-step video on how to make this very healthy meal. Feel free to use any vegetables you prefer. This is what you need to do for this:

1 medium white onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TBS chopped parsley
Veggies
1 ½ TBS white rice
6 cups water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
Dried herbs of choice (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme)-optional

· Heat a pan with some olive oil. Add all of the above ingredients and sauté for a few minutes, until onion starts browning lightly.
· Add any of the following veggies: cubed butternut squash, sliced green beans, diced potatoes, sliced cabbage, sliced carrots, peas, corn, sliced
okra, diced bell peppers, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets or any other vegetable you desire. Sauté for a few minutes.
· Add rice and liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Add your herb of choice, if any.
· Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until veggies and rice are cooked through.
· Ladle into bowls. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Print the Vegetable Soup Recipe Here

There are different ways to make this dessert but I think this is by far the easiest. The end result is so wonderful you won’t want to make it any other way! This video also contains tips on making a perfect caramel, that does not crystallize. Here is what you are going to need for this:

1 cup sugar
1 – 14 oz. can evaporated milk
1 – 14 oz. can condensed milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

• Add sugar to a heavy pan. Melt sugar at medium heat.
• Swirl pan as the sugar is melting being very careful not to burn it.
• Once all sugar has melted, increase heat and cook until amber in color.
• Pour caramel into a mold without scraping the pot.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until you have a uniform cream – about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour custard into the mold.
• Place mold in an oven proof dish with high sides. Fill it half-way with hot water.
• Place dish into oven and cook for about 1 hour.
• Remove flan from oven and cool down completely.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Place on a platter and serve. Enjoy!

Print the Flan or Creme Caramel Recipe Here

This dessert is not overwhelmingly sweet. It is nice and fluffy and a great addition to any meal. It is not diet food by any means but at 12 ramekins you can still enjoy this without an absurd amount of calories! Here is what you will need for this:

Serves twelve

4 egg whites
1 TBS confectioner’s sugar
2 cups very cold heavy cream
1 TBS rum or brandy
1 cup dulce de leche
Dark chocolate shavings for garnish – optional

Beat the egg whites until the start getting stiff. Add the confectioner’s sugar and continue beating until you have soft peaks. Refrigerate.

Beat the cream. When it starts getting thick add the rum or brandy. Continue beating until cream stiffens. Add the dulce de leche and beat until thick and soft peaks form.

Carefully fold in the stiffened egg whites into the beaten cream. Spoon into ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Garnish with chocolate and serve. Enjoy!

Mousse w/o garnish – CALORIES 207.95; FAT 16.20 grs (sat 10.07; mono 4.67; poly 0.62); PROTEIN 3.31 grs ; FIBER 0.00 grs; CARBS 12.17 grs; CHOLESTEROL 60.28 mg; IRON 0.05 mg; SODIUM 57.86 mg; CALCIUM 74.21 mg

Print the Dulce de Leche Mousse Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Serves four

3 cups cooked quinoa – cold
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 2 medium ripe, red tomatoes chopped
½ small red onion – finely sliced
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
2 TBS capers – drained
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix the quinoa with the tomatoes, onion, parsley, thyme and capers.
In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to salad and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

CALORIES 308.05; FAT 16.40 grs (sat 1.91; mono 9.9; poly 1.53); PROTEIN 7.06 grs ; FIBER 5.27 grs; CARBS 34.69 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 2.89 mg; SODIUM 433.89 mg; CALCIUM 44.9 mg

Print the Quinoa Salad Recipe Here

Typically, stuffed bell peppers are made with rice. I used cooked quinoa instead to increase the nutritional value of this wonderful dish. You will need ½ cup of cooked quinoa for this recipe. If you have left over cooked quinoa use it to make a delicious salad. Quinoa is showing up more and more all over the world and is considered a super food. I am including instructions on how to cook this Andean cereal below. Pick the prettiest bell peppers you can find for this. Some people like to parboil the pepper before stuffing them. I like to cook them raw because they don’t get so mushy.

Serves four

4 washed bell peppers – tops removed and seeds removed
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ pound ground beef
1 small white onion – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – minced
1 small chili pepper – seeded, membrane removed, minced
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS Olive oil
1 TBS shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili pepper, parsley and cumin. Mix well and cook for a minute. Add the ground beef and cook until almost completely cooked through. Remove from heat.

Place the cooked quinoa and meat in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Place the bell peppers in an oven proof dish. They have to fit snugly in order not to fall over. Fill them with the quinoa and meat.

Mix the remaining tomato sauce, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Season with a little salt and pepper. Top the peppers with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese for garnish.

Place the peppers in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes until peppers are softened and filling is heated through. Serve and enjoy!

CALORIES 292.25; FAT 16.11 grs (sat 5.14; mono 7.57; poly 0.82); PROTEIN 14.63 grs ; FIBER 5.47 grs; CARBS 24.18 grs; CHOLESTEROL 41.35 mg; IRON 3.5 mg; SODIUM 1148.99 mg; CALCIUM 86.61 mg

Print the Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Check on the box and see if the quinoa you are using had been pre-rinsed. If not, wash and rinse it 3 to 4 times in order to remove the saponins. Here is what you need to do for 3 cups of cooked Quinoa:

3/4 cups raw quinoa
1 1/2 cups water or low sodium vegetable stock
Salt
Olive oil

1. Wash the quinoa very well, scrubbing it between your hands and rinsing often until water comes out clear. This will take 3 to 4 times.
2. Place quinoa in a fine sieve colander and allow the water to drain well.
3. Heat a skillet with some oil, over high heat, until very hot. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, until quinoa turns golden and starts crackling, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Bring the low sodium vegetable stock or water to a boil in a separate pot.
5. Add the toasted quinoa. Season with salt – if using stock use salt sparingly. Cover. Reduce heat to low and allow steaming for approximately 20 minutes. The grains should be soft but not mushy. Add a little bit more water if necessary. You will know it is cooked when you have a translucent center with a ring on the outside. Fluff with a fork and serve.

1/4 cup – CALORIES 174.13; FAT 6.2 grs (sat 0.93; mono 3.4; poly 1.56); PROTEIN 6.39 grs ; FIBER 2.23 grs; CARBS 23.09 grs; CHOLESTEROL 2.25 mg; IRON 1.63 mg; SODIUM 399.59 mg; CALCIUM 17.44 mg

Print the Steamed Quinoa Recipe Here