Food day. Get some inspiration!

I wont lie, one of my favorite past times is eating. I love to experience food. So I though I'd share some of my favorite recipes and types of food today. Hope you Enjoy!



Tomato-Tortilla Soup Yield: 4 servings, serving size: 2 cups

Ingredients
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes. with juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, using 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut each half into 1/4-inch wide strips. Arrange the strips on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the salt, and bake until crisp and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

Remove the pan from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in 2 batches in a regular blender until the soup lightens in color but chunks of tomato remain, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup topped with the tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Per Serving:

Calories 270; Total Fat 10g (Sat Fat 2g, Mono Fat 3.5g, Poly Fat 2g); Protein 9g; Carb 36g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 335mg

Excellent Source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Good Source of: Fiber, Niacin, Phosphorus, Iron, Vitamin K, Protein




Stawberry Mozzarella Salad. Sounds weird, but it's delicious!


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 heart romaine lettuce, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces (3 cups lightly packed)
1 8-ounce container of strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
Directions
In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar salt and pepper. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Place the lettuce onto 4 salad plates.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining dressing and place 1/4 of the berries on top of each mound of lettuce. Top each with cheese and sprinkle with the basil.

Calories 150; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 3.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 6 g; Carb 7 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 320 mg

Excellent source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C

Good source of: Protein, Vitamin K, Calcium, Manganese





Emerald Stir-Fry with Beef

Ingredients
1/4 cup mirin or semisweet white wine, like Riesling
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces beef round tip steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh snow peas (6 ounces)
1 large bunch broccoli (1 1/4 pounds) trimmed and cut into small florets
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and sliced on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) frozen shelled edamame
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
Combine mirin or white wine, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a small bowl.

In a large wok or very large (14-inch) saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add snow peas, broccoli, asparagus and edamame, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. Add the mirin-soy mixture and cook, stirring, until edamame are cooked and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beef and dissolved cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and beef is heated through, an additional 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Per Serving:
(1 serving equals 2 cups stir-fry and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Calories 400; Total Fat 15 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 6 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 29 g; Carb 34 g; Fiber 11 g; Cholesterol 32 mg; Sodium 625 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc

Good source of: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Selenium




Healthy Breakfast Sandwich



Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 eggs and 4 egg whites
1/4 cup minced chives
1/4 cup minced parsley
4 whole-wheat English muffins
4 1/2-inch round slices Canadian bacon
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Directions
Crack eggs and egg whites into a bowl and whisk. Add chives and parsley and stir to incorporate. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Ladle 1/4 egg mixture into skillet and cook, omelet style, until eggs are cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Slide omelet onto a plate and repeat with remaining eggs; cover with foil to keep warm. In same skillet, heat Canadian bacon until warm, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Toast English muffin. Fold omelet in to fit English muffin, then place omelet on 1 muffin half. Top with a bacon slice, then tomato, then top with other muffin half.

Per Serving

Calories 330; Total Fat 13 g; (Sat Fat 5 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 25 g; Carb 31 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 245 mg; Sodium 920 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Selenium

Good source of: Vitamin B6, Folate, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc




Pasta Primavera


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded and cut into strips (6 ounces)
1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced button mushrooms (4 ounces)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 (6 ounces)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large carrot (6 ounces) peeled and sliced into strips with a peeler (about 2 cups carrot ribbons)
3/4 pound whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup shredded basil leaves
Directions
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Add peppers and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes and cook until softened, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot strips.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with vegetables and sauce. Add pasta water, if necessary, to loosen mixture. Serve garnished with Parmesan, parsley and basil.

Per Serving

Serving Size, 2 cups pasta plus 2 tablespoons cheese, plus parsley and basil

Calories 480; Total Fat 11 g; (Sat Fat 3 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.5 g) ; Protein 22 g; Carb 76 g; Fiber 10 g; Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 610 mg

Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Potassium

Good source of: Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorus, Selenium





Those are a few meal ideas, but what about snacks? Well, here's a few that will tide you over until dinner!


Peanut Butter and Whole-Wheat Crackers



Combine lean protein, fiber and healthy fat and you've got a satisfying snack. Protein and fiber work for cutting down and controlling hunger, while fat takes a bit longer to digest and keeps you feeling full longer. Peanut butter is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, but be sure to portion out one tablespoon to keep calories in check.

Portion: 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter and 4 whole-wheat crackers
Total: 180 calories, 5 grams of protein



Low-Fat Cottage Cheese and Fruit


With its good balance of protein, carbs and fat, cottage cheese is one of the most underappreciated foods. Add fiber with fresh fruit, such as berries, melon, pears or pineapple, for a perfect snack. A 1/2-cup serving contains 7% of your daily calcium needs, which is important for healthy bones.

Portion: 1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup sliced or 1 medium piece of fresh fruit
Total calories: 140 calories, 14 grams protein



Hummus with Sliced Veggies



This Middle Eastern chickpea spread is packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Veggies like carrots, bell peppers and broccoli make great dippers and add good nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and, of course, more belly-filling fiber. Two tablespoons of plain hummus has 50 calories and 3 grams of fat, so you're probably better off measuring out two to three tablespoons instead of sitting down with the entire container.

Portion: 3 tablespoons of plain hummus plus 1 cup of sliced veggies
Total calories: 120 calories, 7 grams protein



Trail Mix


Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts or pecans are full of healthy fat, fiber and protein. A delicious homemade trail mix is simple: Portion out a handful of nuts and mix in two tablespoons of dried fruit like raisins, cranberries or apricots. To minimize calories, choose nuts that are dry roasted or raw. For a change of pace, throw in whole-wheat pretzels or some of your favorite cereal (I've been on a Puffins kick lately). Packing your trail mix in plastic bags or containers makes it easy to grab and go. If you find yourself plowing through your snack mix, try using shelled nuts that will take longer to eat.

Portion: 15 nuts plus 2 tablespoons of dried fruit
Total calories: 170 calories, 7 grams protein

Well, now that I've spent about an hour thinking about food...I'm going to go make some. Maybe I'll whip up one of those breakfast sammy's, sounds delicious!

With a hungry belly,

--HB