Review: Garden Lites Roasted Vegetable Souffle
I love to grocery shop and finding new items to share with all of you is my excuse for taking so long each week. This was one find I have been excited to write about since I bought it a few weeks ago at Whole Foods, Garden Lites Roasted Vegetable Souffle.
It was on sale for $2.99 but originally goes for $3.99 and is a single serving. It suggests cooking in the oven for 40 minutes from frozen, 20 from thawed. I had the patience for neither so put it in the microwave and then finished it off in the toaster oven.
You microwave it with the plastic on, which is bpa free according to the package. You put the plastic in the oven as well! Very weird, but it worked. The top was very crispy and flavorful. I was afraid it would be very bland but it was delicious.
I admit though, with only 140 calories, this was not very filling as a meal. I had an apple with some peanut butter to complete my lunch. This would also be a great afternoon snack for those who work in an office and can use a microwave. There are a variety of other flavors and I’m excited to try more of them! Have you tried any yet? Let me know what you think of the other flavors below in the more comments!
I love sweet potatoes and since I bought low fat cheese for rommie this week (which is a no no), I decided to make a treat using more olive oil than usual. I’m also trying to avoid any added sugar this week, so a few extra calories at dinner were OK. These things never get old in my opinion. This recipe is a keeper and super easy. I also made roasted cauliflower with a little bit of EVOO and sea salt (roast for 1 hour at 425) and baked cod with a Stonewall Kitchen Mango Marinade.
Sweet Potato Fries
Cut up 1 lb of Sweet Potatoes with skin on into thin strips. Place in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp of EVOO (or enough to your liking, I usually just use minimal amount when I’m not cooking for someone else). Add 5 dashes of Paprika, Pepper and Cumin. Add 3 dashes of Garlic Powder, Chili Powder and Red Pepper Flakes. Add 1 dash of salt. Tosss together nicely. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning once in the middle or until desired crispiness is acquired. Nutrition is about 200-300 calories for one serving. This makes enough for 2 hearty portioners or 3 calorie counters.
This is also my first pic with my new camera. I’m have a lot of learn when it comes to using an HD SLR! If you must know, I bought the cheapest one I could find with good reviews, Olympus Pen PL1.
Green Goddess Dip with Vegetables & Homemade Pita Chips
3 6-inch whole-wheat pitas
2 tsp canola oil
Cumin
Chili powder
Kosher salt
2 cups chopped avocado (about 2)
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (such as Fage) or plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2/3 cup chopped fresh chives, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
7 cups assorted fresh vegetables, raw or lightly steamed (e.g., beet slices, baby carrots, sliced fennel, julienned jicama, snow peas)
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Brush with oil and sprinkle with ground cumin, chili powder, and kosher salt—all to taste. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Turn off oven and let chips stand for 15 minutes or until crispy.
2 Meanwhile, put avocado, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, 1/3 cup chives, parsley, and salt to taste in a small food processor or blender and puree until creamy. Stir in most of remaining chives, reserving some to garnish dip.
3 To serve, spoon the dip into a small bowl and surround with vegetables and pita chips on a platter.
Makes 20 servings.
Per serving (2 Tbsp dip, 1/3 cup vegetables, and 1 chip): 77 cal, 3 g fat (<1 g sat), 11 g carbs, 135 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein
Lighter Finger Food Idea For New Years
Wine and cheese seems to be a staple among my group of friends during parties. It’s hard to go wrong and requires little to no preparation in advance.
Party after party though, I like to switch things up and surprise the guests. I also use this opportunity to sneak it healthier version of traditional favorites. However, great tasting slimmed down versions of cheese appetizers are hard to find. I just stumbled on this protein packed dip recipe from The Laughing Cow that I had to share with you. Double, triple or quadruple it for a crowd.
Cheesy Polk-Dot Dip (serves 2)
Ingredients
- 2 whole Wedges Of The Laughing Cow® Light French Onion Cheese
- ¼ teaspoons Honey
- ¼ cups Fully Cooked Black Beluga Lentils
- 1 Tablespoon Roasted Red Pepper, Diced Small
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Parsley, Chopped
- Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preparation
Combine cheese and honey in a small mixing bowl.
Fold in lentils (do not mash!), roasted red pepper & parsley.
Season with salt & pepper.
Use as a dip with your favorite vegetables or spread on crackers.
If you love Laughing Cow like me, check out their other great recipe ideas.
*I am newly working with one of my favorite brands of all time, The Laughing Cow. Stay tuned for the official announcement in the new year!
How To Snack Smarter For Healthy Living
In preparation for the onslaught of New Years Resolutions, I’ve decided to share some of my best advice for getting through those early days of eating less, eating cleaner and eating more in tune with your hunger levels! Many people think that eating “small meals” throughout the day is the key to weight loss success. However, most people that eat these meals between breakfast, lunch, and dinner are seriously underestimating their “snack” calories.
Snacks should be no more than 200-300 calories consisting of a combination of protein, good for you carbs and a little fat. A good snack will carry you through the day without energy dips during the day. A good snack will prevent you from bingeing. A good snack will fill you up and keep you full for at least 2-3 hours. A bad snack will have you hungry in 30 minutes or worse, it will make you hungrier!
Here are my favorite snacks that help keep my lifestyle running smoothly. You can mix and match the combinations as well, like Sugar Snap Peas with Hummus or Celery with Peanut Butter.
- Apple (1/2 large or 1 small) with Mini Babybel Light*
- Celery and Carrots with Hummus
- 1/2 cup of berries with Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
- Ezekial Bread with 1-2 tbsp of Peanut Butter All Natural
- 1 cup Spinach with Protein Powder (Less than 110 calories) with Unsw. Almond Milk
- Banana with 7-20 Whole Almonds
- Sugar Snap Peas with Low Fat String Cheese
* I am newly working with one of my favorite brands of all time, The Laughing Cow. Stay tuned for the official announcement in the New Year. I first used their products when my mom made my lunch in elementary school. I’ve continued to use them in my diet on weekly basis ever since.
It’s snack time over here at the eat clean corner. Having 1/2 an apple and 2 egg whites. Protein and carbs :) What is your snack or lunch for today? I eat a late lunch on Tuesdays since I can’t eat dinner until 9 pm (Ski Conditioning Class).
Today is also recommend Tuesday! If you enjoy my blog, please consider recommending me by clicking here or the picture above! It’s been awhile since I’ve been remotely on the radar over on the directory.