Healthy Recipes for Your Family

Cheesy Vegetable Frittata *adapted from ‘Cook Yourself Thin’

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

¼ cup milk (fat free, reduced or 1%)

¼ cup grated cheese (swiss or romano)

¼ pd bacon, cooked and chopped into small bite size pieces (turkey bacon, low sodium)

Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic, minced (you can buy it ready made in a jar @ your local grocery store)

Variety of Vegetables – You choose! Examples:

o  ¼ c onion

o  1 large zucchini, sliced, then sliced in half

o  ½ cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (can be a variety)

o  ¼ cup tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, bacon and grated cheese.

2.  Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Spray pan with olive oil spray and add minced garlic and chopped onion. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add zucchini and asparagus to pan. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes.

4.  Add mushrooms, chopped tomato, basil, oregano, thyme and sauté for another 2 minutes.

5.  Pour egg, milk, bacon and cheese mixture over all of the vegetables and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom has set and browned.

6.  Place the pan in the broiler until golden fluffy. Removed pan from the broiler, using a spatula, loosen the bottom of the frittata and slide onto a plate. Cut into portions and enjoy!

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Want to make your regular meals healthier? Try substituting high fat ingredients to ‘lower/low’ fat or fat free ingredients; this will help cut down on both fat and calories.

French Onion Soup *adapted from ‘Cook Yourself Thin’

Ingredients:

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 large white onions, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch slices

2 Bay Leaves

Fresh Thyme

1/3 cup white apple juice

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

Thinly sliced Swiss Cheese or Gruyere

Whole wheat baguette, toasted and cooled (or you can use toasted bread of any kind)

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

2.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and nearly melting – about 45 minutes. Stir in apple juice and simmer, stirring occasionally until the amount is half of what you put in. Stir in chicken stock and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes

3.  Place 4 ovenproof bowls on a rimmed baking sheet.

4.  Put a piece of bread in the bottom of each bowl, then divide the soup among the bowls and put a slice of cheese on top

5.  Put bowls into the oven and bake until cheese melts and is golden brown with soup bubbling – generally about 10 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and enjoy once it’s cooled down enough to eat!

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Healthy food does not have to taste ‘bland’. Don’t be afraid to introduce healthy foods to your family!

Yummy Breakfast Sandwich*adapted from ‘Cook Yourself Thin’

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat English Muffins

Sliced low-fat cheese (individually wrapped or slice a block)

Sliced Meat (low-sodium ham, Canadian Bacon, Turkey Bacon, Low-Sodium Bacon)

Eggs

Tomato, sliced

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Olive Oil Spray

½ tablespoon oregano

½ tablespoon dill weed (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste

The number of English muffins, eggs, and cheese slices will depend on the number of sandwiches you are making. Using English muffins is a healthier choice than biscuits, bagels or croissants due to the calorie and fat content in these foods.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Fill a large, deep skillet with water, approximately 2 to 4 inches.

3.  Add vinegar and bring to a simmer.

4.  Put muffin halves on a baking sheet.

5.  Put a slice of cheese, and meat on each half muffin. Put the muffins into the oven and bake until the cheese melts and top halves are toasted.

6.  While they are in the oven, cut the tomato into slices and spray each slice with olive oil, then sauté in a nonstick pan over medium high heat for 1 minute on each side. Season with salt and pepper and dried oregano.

7.  Use as many eggs as you need for the amount of sandwiches you are making (1 egg per sandwich). Break one egg at a time into a bowl, careful not to break it and pour into the simmering water until the whites are solid and yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs one at a time and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

8.  Take the muffins out of the oven and transfer to a plate. Top with tomato and egg. Season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter & Honey Surprise

Ingredients:

1 box of Corn Flakes

Honey

Peanut Butter, Creamy

Raisins

This is a great ‘hands on’ snack that you can do with kids any age!

1.  Take approximately 4 cups of corn flakes and put it a bowl

2.  Mix honey, peanut butter and raisins with the corn flakes – there is no specific amount of each – you just want to make everything to stick together. Mix all with your hands – have everyone join in the fun – just make sure everyone washes their hands prior to mixing!

3.  Next, line a baking sheet with either wax paper or foil.

4.  Take the cornflake mixture and make individual balls and place on the baking sheet

5.  Once all of the balls are made and placed on the baking sheet, place pan in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes

6.  Enjoy!

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Let kids discover the joy of cooking! This is another way of creating healthy eating habits – if they enjoy cooking and making something healthy, they will choose that rather than fast food or junk food and grow to be strong, healthy adults!