{Healthy Bee} Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for recipes that will satisfy the entire family and when I come across one it is like striking gold and it instantly becomes saved in my recipe holder! I recently struck gold when I made Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables on Linguine for my family. Not only did my husband like it, but my one year old son devoured it!

I found this recipe on the Eating Well website, and although I do have a subscription to the magazine, it is nice to be able to go back and search their online archives and look for new and different recipes at my convenience. This dinner generously serves four and only takes about 35 minutes to make. Quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious! What else could you ask for?

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables
(From EatingWell: March/April 2008)

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined/ frozen shrimp will also work
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink (or unfrozen if using frozen cooked shrimp) and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp, sauce, vegetables over linguine, quinoa or brown rice. Enjoy!

Nutrition:
Per serving: 227 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 174 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 28 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 514 mg Sodium; 670 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges; 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

{Healthy Bee} Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let's be honest, chocolate chip cookies aren't exactly healthy by any means and I don't recommend eating them very often, but they are one of those homemade treats that are just too good to give up. So instead of depriving yourself of those almost nutrient deficient yummy sweets, try adding a little bit of zucchini! I know what you are thinking...zucchini? But don't let the addition of green veggies to your cookies steer you away from giving this recipe a try because they are so delicious!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Makes about 3 dozen)

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 TB vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture

1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.


This recipe along with many other delicious recipes can be found on the website Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It is also the title of the fantastic book; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life written by Barbara Kingsolver.  This book is a very good read and I absolutely recommend reading it and taking a look at the website and trying out a few other recipes.

{Healthy Bee} Healthy-er Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is one of the classic desserts that always seem to be worth the numerous calories. However, do you ever feel like having a slice of carrot cake but without the hundreds of calories? Well here is a delicious version of the classic carrot cake with half of the calories! It is very simple to make and with one slight modification this recipe can be made to fit into a vegan diet. Give it a try and have carrot cake whenever you like...but without the guilt!

Cake ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana, frozen, then thawed
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (approximately 2 medium carrots)
1 1/4 cups flour
1T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Icing ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1T. margarine or vegan margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2T. water

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan. Mash thawed banana in a large bowl. Mix in sugar, oil, vanilla extract and carrots. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the flour mixture into the banana mixture until no lumps remain. Fold in raisins and walnuts.

Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for approximately 10 minutes in pan. Transfer to cooling rack and let cake cool completely.

Icing recipe:
Using a fork, mix powdered sugar, melted margarine, vanilla, and 2T. of water in a large measuring cup. If icing is to thick add 1/2 tsp. of water at a time to achieve a nice drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cake by slowing pouring from measuring cup.

Serves 15

Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional information:

Per Slice: 222 Cal; 2 Grams Protein; 8 Grams Total Fat (1 Gram Saturated Fat); 37 Grams Carbohydrates; 0 Mg. Cholesterol; 205 MG Sodium; 1 Gram Fiber; 26 Grams Sugar.

{Healthy Bee} Not your Mama's Meatloaf

I am a big fan of running and a few years ago I started a subscription to Runner's World Magazine. Not only did I learn helpful tips for running and working out, but I was able to learn some awesome recipes to fuel my body for my runs and workouts. I was pleasantly surprised to find the recipes to be delicious and sustaining. You can even visit their website to find a variety of recipes to fit your needs and your taste buds!

When you think of mealoaf, you probably think of some grody slop of meat that you may have been forced to eat as a child. Well let me say that this meatloaf recipe is a bit different. This recipe is packed with extra vegetables and oat bran that increases nutrients and decreases calories, while still providing you with the fuel your body needs. Even my husband and baby both enjoy the taste!

Meatloaf
By Liz Applegate Ph.D.

1lb extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion
1 large stalk celery
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 large red pepper
1/2 cup oat bran
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 small (6oz) can tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Ketchup in squirt bottle

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Finely chop the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley, and pepper in a food processor. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pack meat into a 9 x 11" glass baking dish coated with vegetable spray. Decorate top with a squirt of ketchup and evenly distribute. Bake for one hour to 1 1/2 hours. Serves six. 

Calories: 180
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 16g
Protein: 20g

Even more, this is such an easy recipe, you can't fail even if you tried! Now go ahead and give it a go! Bon Appetit!

{Healthy Bee} Food, I love You!

Food, I love You!, is a fantastic site that features food glorious food! And who doesn't love food? Colleen Donnelly, author and creator of the blog, makes cooking and eating healthy oh so easy by featuring delicious recipes and helpful tips for eating nutritiously. With clever writing and delectable recipes, you can't go wrong with checking out this site. I am very excited to try her Mini Citrus Scones!
Subscribe today and you no longer have to have a love-hate relationship with food, this site and free weekly newsletter will allow you to to "have a love affair with food again"!
You can also follow, Food, I love You!, on Facebook  and Twitter! 

{Healthy Bee} Spaghetti Squash Casserole Tutorial

Eating lots of colorful vegetables is an important step in being healthy and losing weight. Not only are you taking in plenty of nutrients that your body needs, but you are also filling up your belly and satiating your appetite! That is why I love this Spaghetti Squash Casserole.

Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta and can be prepared in a variety of ways. I enjoy making this casserole that is similar to lasagna but without the pasta or ground beef. Although spaghetti squash is not as nutrient dense as other winter squash, such as butternut or acorn, it will provide you with a modest amount of calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and dietary fiber. Not to mention it will just make you feel great!

To get started, you will need the following ingredients:
(this recipe is a vegetarian dish but can be modified to include extra lean ground turkey or beef)

1 spaghetti squash
Mozzarella cheese
Ground crumbles (meat substitute) 
1 jar of Tomato Basil spaghetti sauce
Dry basil
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Oregano
Salt
Italian Parsley for garnish


Cooking the Spaghetti Squash:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by cutting the squash in half (length wise) and scrape out the seeds.

Place the halves flesh side down in a casserole dish and add about 1/4-inch of water. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender and remove and let cool.

Once they have cooled. Take a fork and rake the squash so that you create strands like "spaghetti noodles". 

Place the squash strands in a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Sprinkle a little black pepper, salt, 1 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 tsp. oregano.

After cooking your ground crumbles, layer on top of the squash and flavor with a little more oregano, garlic, black pepper and salt.

Pour your jar of spaghetti sauce on top of the ground crumbles and spread evenly. Finally, top with a little bit of mozzarella cheese. Place the casserole back in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Once you have pulled it out of the oven and it has cooled a little bit, garnish with some fresh Italian parsley.

Serve warm and Enjoy!

UPDATE 8/6/2017: To learn more about Spaghetti Squash and many other recipes check out the Quick Easy Cook! You will find so much helpful information and delicious ways to use to spaghetti squash!

{Queen Bee} Introducing the Healthy Bee

It has been 10 months since I had my son, Jake, and I have yet to return to my pre-baby weight and lifestyle. It is partly because I have enjoyed using the excuse that I have "recently" had a baby and partly because I have just become lazy. But it is now time to stop making excuses and return to the healthy and active lifestyle to which I was once accustomed. Therefore, I am now adding "Healthy Bee" to my blog that will feature recipes and tips for fighting the fat and living healthfully.

You must be thinking how ironic it is to have healthy postings on a blog that features mostly sweets? But, my motto is not to deprive oneself but to eat in moderation. Sure, go ahead and take a small taste of your creation, but don't eat them all! I am one who definitely likes to indulge once in a while, but just make sure that your once in a while doesn't become everyday. You can absolutely have the best of both worlds!

So now here I am ready to fight the fat and return to my former self...and fit into my skinny jeans! I will keep track of my progress and I encourage anyone who has also been struggling with losing weight to join me on this journey!


Here are a few tips to get you started!

*To lose weight you need to have more energy output than input. Therefore, if you reduce your calories by 500, you will lose one pound a week. (1 pound = 3500 calories) Exercise is important and will only help with your energy output. But if you haven't exercised in a while, start slow....you need to re-condition yourself. Try power walking or the elliptical if you are a beginner. The first two weeks will be tough but just power through it, it will get easier!

*It is important to fill your diet with nutrient dense foods. This means you want the "biggest bang for your buck" when it comes food....eating foods that give the highest amount of nutrients for the least amount of energy (calories)! Therefore, don't ignore nutrition labels...they will help you with keeping your food intake healthy and nutrient dense!

*Keep track of your calories in a journal or on an online calorie tracker. Being informed of this will keep you accountable for the foods you consume and will keep you eating the right amount of calories you need to be healthy and lose weight.

*If you have any health or medical problems, consult your doctor and/or a registered dietitian, together they can put you on a program that is healthy and created just for your needs.

Stay tuned for my first "Healthy Bee" post!