If you're like me, then you have become a fan of The Biggest Loser...

I wish I could spend 6 months doing nothing but devoting time to weight loss but since I can't, I will have to continue to get healthy the old fashioned way, one day at a time approach.  I love the recipes that are in the Biggest Loser cookbook, again a reason to show that being healthy doesn't mean you can't eat flavorful good food.  Enjoy this recipe from their cookbook:

1 pound 96% lean ground beef, preferably grass fed
1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped whole scallions
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all-natural low-sodium soy sauce
Sea salt, to taste

Soak 8 (6") wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (or have metal skewers ready). Preheat a grill to high.

Add the beef, garlic, ginger, scallions, and soy sauce to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. Season with salt.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Take 1 portion and shape it around a skewer, flattening the meat so it's about 1 1/2" wide and covers about 5" of the skewer's length. Place the finished skewer on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture and skewers. Transfer the plate to the freezer and let the skewers sit about 10 minutes.

Grill the skewers for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Divide the yakitori among 4 serving plates, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving (2 skewers): 135 calories, 23 g protein, <1 g carbohydrates (trace sugar), 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 196 mg sodium

Buffalo chicken....yummm

I love Chicken wings but hate the mess and the fat!  Here is a great way to enjoy the flavor minus the fat, low carbs, and no mess.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with blue cheese sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup reduced fat blue cheese crumbles
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• Healthy Life hamburger buns

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Stir the sour cream, blue cheese, and Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl; set aside.
1. Mix the ground chicken, 1/4 cup hot sauce, celery salt, poultry seasoning, paprika, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. Form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
2. Cook the chicken burgers on the preheated grill 6 to 7 minutes until well marked. Spray the uncooked top of the burger with cooking spray, and flip the burgers over. Brush the cooked side with 1 tablespoon hot sauce, and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
3. Top burgers with blue cheese sauce made in step 1.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Dressing

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 374

• Total Fat: 8.8g
• Cholesterol: 111mg
• Sodium: 1111mg
• Total Carbs: 25.3g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.7g

Pizza, Pizza.....

How can we be expected to give up pizza? I could eat this pizza everyday with a salad, light yet filling and you can change up the ingredients on top depending on your mood.  Today I thought I would share my version of "pizza margherita".

P.S. I sometimes make several of these, cut into fours and serve as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 Flatout light bread (4 forks)
1 Roma tomato
Kraft Shredded Low Moisture Skim Mozzarella
Fresh basil
1 Tbs olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spread olive oil on flatout bread with pastry brush. Bake for 3-5 minutes so flatbread starts to crisp.
3. Remove flatbread from oven, sprinkle cheese on flatbread. Slice tomato into round pieces and place on top of cheese. Sprinkle tomatoes and cheese with fresh basil, salt and pepper (to taste)
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top of pizza.
5. Bake for another 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
6. Serve warm and Enjoy!!

Had lunch with a dear friend today....fabulous food, laughs, and pure joy!

A friend of mine asked me to lunch today, we went to one of her favorite spots: La Briola in Lombard.  I had never been. Let me tell you I was like a kid in a candy shop, everything on the menu looked great.  Since she asked me there, I let her pick everything we would eat, it was all delicious, but sad to say, ate some "bad" carbs today.  Will have to work out twice tomorrow to make up for it...Look out Zumba, here I come.

Tonight's recipe was inspired by the old italian families.  This was a staple dinner in most italian households, I have made it a bit healthier with a few subsitutions. Mangia!

Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers:

Ingredients

• 6 (4 ounce) links sweet or hot Italian turkey sausage
• 2 tablespoons I can't believe it's butter light
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white wine

1. Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet, and slice.
2. Melt butter subsititue in the skillet. Stir in the yellow onion,  and garlic, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Season with basil, and oregano. Stir in white wine. Continue to cook and stir until peppers and onions are tender.
3. Return sausage slices to skillet with the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until sausage is heated through.
4. If you would like to you can put all ingredients in the crock pot and simmer on low for 8 hrs.  When I do this, I like to add 3 potatoes diced up.

Nutritional value:
Calories: 259
Fat: 12.1 g
Fiber:4
Carbohydrates: 15
Protein: 18.9

Where do I begin.....

Twenty years ago my father was diagnosed with Diabetes and although I had a grandmother who had Diabetes I never really understood what it meant to be a diabetic.  I like many others thought it meant meals had to be boring and flavorless.  Coming from an Italian and Irish family where my mom although Irish heritage, cooked like an Italian mom, bland, boring meals were something unheard of it, so I knew mealtime would be challenging for my mom.  I watched my mom struggle with trying to get my dad to eat “healthy” foods and him fighting it, saying it was boring, had no taste, and why bother.  Well 10 years ago I met the love of my life, and much to my dismay, found out immediately that he too was diabetic.  Here I thought, oh no, I love to cook, how can I cook for a diabetic and still love the meals I make. I attended a nutrition class with him so I could understand, what he could and couldn't have.  I like many other spouses of a diabetic, were fighting for him to eat healthy and finally this year, he realized he had to make changes or he would be headed for an insulin pump. So now, I have taken family recipes, recipes I have found online, and in magazines and turned them into flavorful, healthy meals for my husband, and now would like to share those meals with you!

I will also include various products from time to time in my recipes that may be low carb and will rate those on taste, which will be honest opinions as I too will be eating the meals I make for my husband, so no sugar coating on the ratings.

Ratings:
1 fork: not worth buying
2 forks: use if you really must
3 forks: good, but could be better
4 forks: Great! could probably pass off to those not watching carbs as the real deal!

I hope you enjoy the recipes and know that you can live life eating healthy, spicy and carb free!*
*Disclaimer: mostly low carb meals, but carb free fit the title better.... :)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

2 tsp.oil

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts

1 can(14.5 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 tub(10 oz.)PHILADELPHIA Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme, divided

1/2 cupKRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

8 Mission Carb Balance flour tortillas (8 inch) Rating: 4 forks

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook and stir onions in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 4 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, 3/4 cup cooking creme and shredded cheese.
3. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining cooking creme. Cover.
4. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings
Nutritional information:
Calories: 436 calories per serving
Fat: 18.7 g
Protein: 24.6 g
Dietarty Fiber: 14.4 g
Carbs: 40.4 g
Net Carbs: 26 g

*Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods, my adaption, sub Mission Carb Balance tortillas for regular tortillas and add chilies.