Greens, Beans and Turkey Bacon Soup

This recipe is derived from the original which comes from one of my favorite cookbooks and the creators of Cooking Light magazine- Fresh Food Fast-weeknight meals.   I have made a few adjustments from the original version in order to lighten in a little more and use fresh kale and onions.

Ingredients:

3 slices Turkey bacon, cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces

3 cups of fresh chopped Kale

2 ¼ cups of water

1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5oz) can of 99% fat free chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup of mushrooms

1 ½ tsp. Olive oil, divided

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven over Med-high heat until crisp.  (Using turkey bacon I add a ½ tsp of olive oil in this.)

Once bacon is crisp, add the remaining olive oil and onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened.  (Appx. 3 minutes)

Add chicken broth, water, beans, and kale along with a little salt and pepper. ( I use a lot of pepper)

Kale is high in beta carotine, vitamin C, and rich with calcium

Rinsing and Draining removes up to 50% sodium

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

It's quick, it's easy, and it’s even better the second day!  I make it a day in advance and use it for my lunches! 

This healthy and delicious soup is right at 200 calories per 1 2/3 cups servings.

Serve with a slice of toasted crusty bread!

Turkey Burger with Halloumi cheese

Today was a wonderful day of relaxing, surfing the net, watching movies with Natalie, and listening to the rain.  Natalie and I ran a few errands then went to the Fitness Center for cardio and strength training – for me, not Nattie. 

On the way home we dropped by Harris Teeter to pick up some fresh ground turkey burgers for supper.  These patties are already patted out using lean ground turkey.

The bride prepared corn on the cob for our side, and I fired up the grill. 

I then sliced up the tomatoes, onions, and halloumi cheese, then went out to put the burgers and halloumi on the grill.  Of course, the thermometer was not where it was supposed to be, so I checked the gas.  You got it – empty!  Fortunately, I have a spare tank and had it hooked up and running in moments.  Then put the cheese and burgers on the grill.

Halloumi cheese is from Cypress in the Mediterranean.  It has a high melting point which allows it to be grilled.  It is very good.

The turkey burgers I buy are not very thick, therefore they cook fast – which is what was needed for tonight.  Once everything was ready, I took it all inside for the assembly!

Sausage Heroes

After feasting for the birthday bash yesterday, it was back to the lighter side tonight.  The old adage, “If it tastes good spit it out- it’s bad for you”, isn’t always true. 

Tonight’s fare consisted of great taste, lots of color, and various textures.  This is what is needed for a satisfying meal.  We had Sausage Heroes for dinner with a garden salad on the side.

Chicken sausage, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and a loaf of whole wheat French bread cut into thirds is all it takes to make this sandwich.  I topped it off with French’s Horseradish mustard.  Yum!

Buster waits for anything to come his way!

This meal comes in at 600 calories including salad and dressing.

Enjoy!!

Shrimp Wrap

Nice thing about extra shrimp are the many uses. 

 

For lunch I took 3oz of boiled shrimp, chopped romaine lettuce, green onions, red onions and baby carrots. 

I put these in a fat free flour tortilla with some low fat mayo and my special “hot” cocktail sauce and wrapped it up.

A great tasting lunch for just 300 calories.  Tomorrow I'll show you how to use extra shrimp for breakfast!

Turkey Burger with Guacamole

The girls left me to fend for myself this weekend.  They are off to play nurse-maid to her brother.  Hope he mends no matter what those two do to him....

So cooking for one, I decided on what to eat for dinner?  A big steak? No.  A nice tuna filet? No.  I was in the mood for a burger, but not just any burger.  I wanted a guacamole burger. 

I had a couple avocodo's sitting on the counter that were getting ripe, so I made a batch of guacamole.  It's great as a dip for my chips and for spreading on a burger too!

Tonight's burger is easy - FROZEN.  No, they are not as good as patted out with spices and so forth, but on a Friday night when cooking for one - PERFECT.  Plus, they're not to bad either.

So, I have my Arnold Whole Wheat Sandwich round ready here with romaine lettuce and some feta cheese.

I decided to slice an onion and throw it on the grill as well with a little olive oil drizzled on it. 



Tonight's meal ran around 500 calories.  Avocodo's run high in calories, but are a good fat for your heart!