Feta, Potato, Turkey Skillet

I can't wait for you to try this bowl full of goodness and health! Vitamin C, iron, protein, healthy carbs, fiber, comfort....need I say more.

Feta, Potato, and Turkey Skillet
from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
olive oil spray
1 lb ground turkey breast (not ground turkey)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 lb potatoes (best to buy organic)
pinch dried thyme
3/4 C low sodium chicken broth (I love Watkins)
1 lb Swiss Chard or other leafy greens (I used organic Kale, you can find pre-cut in the HyVee Organic Produce section sometimes, wahooo for convenience!)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
pinch red chili flakes
juice of 1/2 lemon, plus 4 wedges for serving
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Coat a large (12inch) oven-proof skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook. Break up meat with a spoon, until no pink is visible, 5-6minutes. Transfer turkey to a bowl, returning skillet to heat. Add potatoes and thyme to hot skillet and season with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 20 minutes, stirring once. Carefully return skillet to stove top on medium-high heat (leave oven at same temperature). Add broth and bring to a simmer. Add leafy greens and stir until just wilted. Stir in tomatoes rosemary, chili flakes, lemon juice, and reserved turkey. Once broth is simmering, transfer back to oven. Cook until tomato skins burst, about 10 minutes. Stir halfway through. Divide mixture among 4 bowls and top evenly with feta. Serve with lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Nutrition (1 1/4C potato mix with 2 T feta): 271 calories, 4gfat, 24gcarbs, 35g protein

WOW...where did the time go...Sara B Consulting blog celebrated its 2nd Anniversary at the beginning of the month. THANK YOU TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS and TASTE TESTERS! You are making yourself and your family healthier one recipe at a time!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com

Baked Manicotti Bundles

Enjoy this tasty way to get one of your two recommended servings of fish per week!

Baked Manicotti Bundles
from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
olive oil spray
3 to 4 green onions
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled
1 tsp EVOO
12 oz fresh tilapia fillets
4 oz light cream cheese
1/2 skim milk
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 oz 2% mozzarella cheese, divided
fresh dill for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat glass pan with olive oil. Trim off whites of onions and score the upper ends of the green stems. Prepare noodles according to package directions. During final 90secs of cooking add green stems, then remove. Drain and rinse pasta and set aside. Grate carrot and set aside. Place a large nonstick pan on medium heat and add oil. Heat for 1 min then add fish. Cover and cook for 3 min. Carefully flip fillets and cook for 1 more min. Break fillets up with spatula. If pieces are not opaque cook for one more min. Remove from heat and set aside. Add cream cheese, milk, dried dill, and salt to medium saucepan. Use spatula to break up cream cheese. Place pan on low heat and cook, whisking constantly. Cook for 1 min or until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat and scoop half the mixture out to reserve for later. Stir in carrots and fish into pan with cheese. Lay noodles out on cutting board. Place 2 T of cheese mixture on each noodle and gently roll into tight bundle. Tie with green onion stem. Place onto glass pan and spoon reserved cheese mixture on top as well as remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh dill.
Nutrition for 2 1/2 bundles: 447 calories, 12g fat, 35g protein, 49g carbs.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com

Pasta w/ Squash, Brown Butter & Rosemary

Pasta w/ Squash, Brown Butter & Rosemary
from Rachel Ray's Everyday Living

Ingredients:
1-3lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T chopped fresh rosemary
sea salt and pepper
2/3 lb lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
4 T butter, I used Land O' Lakes
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, use the real stuff!
3 T pine nuts, toasted
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, olive oil and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast until squash is tender, about 3o minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Add the roasted squash, brown butter and 1/3 c parmesan to the pasta and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts and remaining cheese.

Viola! Enjoy!

Want to lose weight, tone up and gain energy?! Ask me about the 24 Day Challenge!

Come cheer on Jeremy, Mike, Kelli, baby, and I as we run the Des Moines 1/2 marathon this weekend! Looks like perfect weather!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Summertime Orzo Salad

It's a rice, it's a grain....no it's ORZO :) I know....so korny, but seriously what is orzo?
Orzo is actually a rice shaped pasta, that is very fun to eat and makes beautiful salads.
This salad knocked my socks off after fellow crossfitter, Tricia, made it at the last Crossfit Des Moines party.


Summertime Orzo Salad
thanks Tricia!
Ingredients:
1 pound dry orzo pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh spinach, torn
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
8 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 & 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 carton cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions:
Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta and spread on a large baking sheet to cool. Transfer cooled orzo to a large serving bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Clean Eatin' Scalloped Potatoes

mmmm...I can still remember when my mom would dish up ooey gooey scalloped potatoes. So creamy and cheesy.
As I flipped through my latest Clean Eating Magazine, I was so excited to see they had a "cleanified" version of the classic recipe.

This version omits the half a stick of butter, heavy milk, and white flour. It still has the yummy cheese, just in a smaller quantity.
You save: 285 calories, 16g fat, 10g saturated fat, and 628mg sodium
Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:
olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 t white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
2 C low-fat milk or skim
3 oz low-fat (2%) Monterrey Jack or white cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 lb Russet, Red, or Yukon Gold potatoes (I used Red and Yukon Gold), sliced thin as possible...I used my food processor to get the slices right. Leave the skin on for the extra nutrients.
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
2 T whole wheat bread crumbs (Panko is a Japanese brand you can find at HyVee)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Heat oil in large skillet or medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/4 tsp sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, thyme (be generous) and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until onions are coated with flour. Add milk and increase heat to medium-high. When liquid begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Add three-quarters of Monterrey Jack and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and stir until melted, about 1 minutes. Remove from heat.

Note: if milks burns slightly on bottom of pan, try not to scrap up as stirring. It should remain stuck to bottom and you wont have to worry about it.

Arrange potatoes in an even layer in greased baking dish. (should be several potatoes thick).
Cover with half of onion and milk mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes and onion mixture.
Make sure all corners of dish get covered. If a spot looks dry add a tablespoon of milk.
In small bowl, combine remaining Monterrey Jack, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Bake potatoes in center of oven for 70-85 minutes or until potatoes are tender when a fork is pierced through. When finished baking, remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese-bread crumb mixture. Preheat broiler to high and return baking dish to oven and broil until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes....careful not to burn! Let cool for 10 minutes and serve!

I may have gone a little heavier on the cheese :) Also, I prepared my dish the day before and refrigerated it covered. The only step I did not do was top it with the bread-cheese mix.
20 minutes before dinner the next night I topped the cooked dish with my cheese-bread mix and warmed it in the 350F oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com

Cedar Ridge Winery

I'm not really sure if it's the fact that we took our Italian honeymoon almost one year ago or the fact that I am craving cheese, but J and I are missing Italy and everything it had to offer....
the delectable foods, the soul satisfying wines & wineries, the rich history coming to life, getting lost on narrow brick streets, and taking in the beautiful Amalfi Coast views.

To help fill this void we are feeling, we headed up to
Cedar Ridge Winery
(half way between Coralville & Cedar Rapids)

It was a beautiful evening to sit, enjoy wine...and water, a tasty cheese platter, nice views and live music.

I think this is our sign that it's time to go.

There are sooo many wineries popping up in Iowa...I once heared Iowa is like the new Napa Valley :)

Find one near you, most have evening entertainment and sampling like we enjoyed at Cedar Ridge.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabcosnulting.com/

Stroll in the Woods & Our Favorite Italian Picnic

Yesterday was beautiful! You can feel fall in the air. J and I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather last night and headed out to Lake McBride for a hike and picnic dinner.

Here's a perfect spot!

I packed J and I's favorite Italian picnic....in fact, it was almost a year ago we were trekking through Italy for our honeymoon!

the menu:

Tuscan Open-Faced Sandwiched

(as my good pal Robin like to call them)
crackers

cheese

apple slices (Granny Smith have a nice sour/sweet bite)

pesto (last night's was homemade by Robin....recipe here)

sliced deli meat is optional.

experiment with different cheeses (J likes pepperjack, I like anything fresh and flavorful)

Serve these up on a romantic picnic or for a satisfying appetizer.

Here we are on the beach of Positano, Italy.

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good...

www.sarabconsulting.com

The Egg McMuffin....Healthified

I'm not sure if it's the pregnancy thing or what, but I can't get enough cheese! J didn't help the situation when he brought back some delectable Wisconsin cheese after a salmon fishing trip.
We've got squeaky cheese curds on the left, 2 year aged cheddar, and Apple Jack (blend of mozzarella and something else yummy)
I LOVE cheese and fruit platters. I mean the apple with the aged cheddar is like peanut butter & jelly....a match made in heaven.
The only thing missing in this picture....a nice glass of wine :(

I incorporated one slice of the aged cheddar and one slice of the apple jack into the Egg McMuffins, but you could use laughing cow for a lower calorie option.

Egg McMuffin...Healthified
modified from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
White vinegar, as needed
1 large omega 3 egg
olive oil spray
1 C spinach
1 whole-wheat English muffin
2 thin slices cheese or 1 Laughing Cow wedge
1 slice tomato or 1 T salsa
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp hot sauce like cholula
Instructions:
This was my first time making poached eggs! Bring a large, deep sauce pan with at least 5 cups water to a boil. Add about 1 tsp vinegar for every cup of water. (Taste to make sure vinegar is barely noticeable). Lower heat to a slow simmer. Carefully crack egg into a teacup or ladle. Lower teacup pr ladle into water and pout egg out as gently as possible to not break yolk. Egg white will coagulate in water and turn white. Cook until white is formed and set and yolk beings to thicken but is not hard, 3-4 minutes. Remove egg with slotted spoon or strainer; set aside.
NOTE: to have a more fully cooked poached egg as J likes and I have to have right now.....let cook for about 6-8 minutes. Gently lift egg out of water and lightly press yolk (without breaking) to see if it has solidified. Toast English muffin in toaster.

To assemble, melt or spread cheese on base slice of muffin, add spinach leaves, top with salsa or fresh tomato slice. Top with poached egg, sea salt and pepper, a splash of hot sauce and the toasted top.

Enjoy!
Nutrition: calories about 243, fat 8.5g, protein 14g, carbs 31 g, fiber 5.5g


Your kids aren't the only ones that get to go back to school....
Looking for a fun way to learn about nutrition and socialize with your friends? Try a Health Study. Each week a small group of friends, colleagues, etc, meet for a "nutrition get-together" based on various topics including: truth on fad diets, clean and green eating, label reading, how to feed the family nutritiously, nutrition beauty secrets and many more! You will be the savviest foodie on the block! A healthy snack and recipe will be provided. Topics can be selected by the group.
Prices vary on group size.

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Back to School Recipes & B-Day Fun with the Family

On Thursday I did another presentation at Continental Western Group on "Back to School the Healthy Way." The focus was on why it is important for kids to eat healthy, how to pack a healthy lunch, and lunch time makeovers.
Of course, there were food samples! The idea behind the samples is they are all easy recipes with minimal ingredients that can be prepared by both a parent and a child (some may need supervision).

Pizzadillas
from kidshealth.org
Ingredients:
4 whole-wheat tortillas (8 inches) - I use Amy's Organics
2/3 cup fresh or frozen spinach, finely chopped
2/3 cup 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Cooking spray

I found this marinara made in Coralville, Iowa at the Coralville HyVee
Instructions:
Lay 2 tortillas on a flat surface. Divide spinach and cheese between the tortillas.
Top with remaining 2 tortillas.
Place skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray.
Gently slide 1 pizzadilla into the pan and cook until light golden brown on one side (about 1-2 minutes).
Using a thin spatula, gently flip over the pizzadilla and cook for 30-60 seconds more or until cheese is fully melted.
Remove pizzadilla and cut into triangles. Repeat with remaining pizzadilla.
Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
You can wrap and refrigerate leftovers to take to school for lunch.

Strawberry Bars

loosely adapted from kidshealth.org

Ingredients:
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats
1/4 c butter or margarine, softened

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c strawberry jam - make sure it is a product that does not contain high fructose corn syrup

3/4 c sliced fresh or frozen strawberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam and strawberries.
Measure out 1/2 of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside.
Take the mixture and press it into the bottom of the greased pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan!
Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam on top of the mixture in the pan. Follow with the strawberry slices. Spread it evenly all over.
Take the mixture that was left in the bowl, and spread or sprinkle it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share!

Each participant got their own sack of samples!
I also sampled Banana Roll-ups.

Birthday fun with the family!

Mom and Dad had us kids over for cake and homemade ice cream. Mom created another cake masterpiece! It's a baby stroller :)

Peyton looks guilty....is that chocolate on the side of her mouth?

Emmerson tried teaching Peyton how to start a race

it seems she left her in the dust

"Wait for me Emmerson!"

"oh my, a camera....how do I look?"

Jazz (my parents and I's little sister from Big Brothers/Big Sisters)

Emmerson catching a ride from J

I love family time!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Tuscan Open Faced Sanwhiches

Today I am sending you to my girlfriend, Robin's, foodblog. She posted a fav of J and I's,
Tuscan Opened Face Sandwiches


and did a much better job than I would have taking pictures!

J and I enjoyed these bite size tastes of Italy while honeymooning.
Enjoy her site: Indulge
ps...Robin, I love the recipe name!


Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Chicken Parmesan

I cooked up this Parmesan Chicken recipe for J and I the other night. It was so satisfying and yummy that I can't wait to have a dinner party to knock some socks off! Any takers?

Chicken Parmesan with Pasta
and Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1/4-1/2 c white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or buy the jars of already minced garlic in oil...convenience rules)
2 tsp dried oregano, divided
1-28oz jar or 2-15oz cans of diced tomatoes (various flavors)
1 T tomato paste
1/2 C Kashi crackers, crushed OR whole wheat bread crumbs

1 T Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded into 1 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap

1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 C 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz cooked whole wheat penne

1/4 c fresh or dried basil, chopped
Instructions:
preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with olive oil. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat, add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, until veggies are soft. Add 1 tsp oregano and stir to coat. Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and partially cover for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix with fork to combine. Brush both side of chicken breasts with mustard. Place chicken breast in the dish of crumbs and coat each side. Place chicken in pan and coat with cooking spray. Cook for 20 minutes.
Top each chicken breast with 2-3 Ts of tomato sauce and 2 Ts of mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes. Crust should be golden brown and cheese melted and bubbling away.

Place chicken on serving platter, top pasta with tomato sauce. Sprinkle basil over chicken and pasta. ENJOY!
Nutrition (4 oz chicken and 4 oz pasta): 439cals, 12g fat, 43g carbs, 34.5g protein

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/