My husband is not a fan of grits, but I thought this recipe just might bring him over to the dark side. I was right—he enjoyed every bite, much to his chagrin.

With no cream or flour, this recipe is lighter than what you’ll find in most restaurants but it’s every bit as tasty!

Shrimp and Grits

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ lemon, juiced
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp cayenne
4 slices of bacon
¼ red pepper, chopped
¾ cup onion, chopped
1½ cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup quick grits
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper

1. Combine shrimp, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and cayenne; set aside.

2. Cook bacon in a large sauté pan until crispy. Drain on a paper towel, but reserve the drippings in the pan. Crumble bacon and set aside.

3. Add the red pepper, onions, and mushrooms to the bacon drippings and cook until tender. Stir in the shrimp and bacon and cook until the shrimp turns pink.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Slowly whisk in grits, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the grits are thick, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove the grits from heat and stir in cheddar, butter, salt, and pepper.

6. Portion grits into bowls and top each with some of the shrimp and veggie mixture.

Instant rice and rotisserie chicken make this meal super quick and easy for a busy weeknight. I tweaked a few things from the original recipe (like using brown rice instead of white, wheat tortillas instead of flour, and shredded reduced fat colby jack instead of queso fresco), but the finished product was still delicious. I cut my two year old’s tostada into quarters so it would be easier for her to pick it up, but it was still a bit difficult for her to handle—she ended up just eating the stuff off the top.

Chicken Tostadas with Chipotle Rice

Adapted from Cooking Light

3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 cup diced tomato
½ cup diced white onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 (6-inch) whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded boneless rotisserie chicken breast
¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheese

For the rice:
1 ¾ cups water
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp chipotle seasoning
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups instant brown rice
1 small can of mild green chiles
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add tomato, onion, cilantro, and avocado; toss gently to coat.

2. To make the rice, combine water, chipotle seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add rice and stir gently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the cilantro and green chiles.

3. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ¾ tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1 tortilla to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining 2 ¼ tsp oil and tortillas.

4. Place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Layer each tortilla with ½ cup lettuce, about ½ cup beans, ½ cup chicken, ¼ cup avocado salsa, and 1 tbsp cheese.

Lentils are a one-pot superstar. They’re low in calories and fat while packing a punch when it comes to fiber, protein, and iron. They sometimes get a bad rep for being difficult to cook, often turning out crunchy or mushy. But if you get the process down, they can be filling and flavorful when cooked correctly. I actually found this recipe on the bag of Safeway brand lentils (go figure), and it’s now one of our cold weather favorites!

Sausage and Lentil Stew

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ cups chopped carrots
1 lb smoked sausage (I use Hillshire Farms Turkey Polska Kielbasa)
1 lb dried lentils, rinsed thoroughly and drained
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 lb fresh spinach or kale

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots until tender (about 10 minutes).

2. Add sausage, lentils, broth, sage, thyme, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until lentils are barely tender.

3. Stir in spinach or kale and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or until lentils are tender. Ladle stew into bowls and serve.

*Recipe originally from Safeway 

Bring a little luck of the Irish to your kitchen this Sunday with one of these fun green recipes!

Kale Pesto White Bean Dip from Annie’s Eats

Sneaky Healthy Mint Chip Milkshake from Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Pasta with Basil, Arugula, and Walnut Pesto from Cooking Light

Chocolate Mint Icebox Cupcakes from Two Peas and Their Pod

Honeydew-Cucumber Mojito from Marth Stewart

Edamame Hummus from Babble

Green Velvet Cupcakes from Love from the Oven

My mom used to make these bran muffins all the time when I was little. I can still remember running downstairs to the smell of these in the oven and staring through the glass until they were done. Even though this recipe makes a ton (around 5 ½ dozen), the batter lasts in the refrigerator for up to six weeks, so you don’t have to make them all at once.

Homemade Bran Muffins

1 15 oz pkg wheat bran flakes cereal with raisins (I used FiberOne Raisin Bran Clusters)
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 qt buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line muffin pans with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a very large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

3. Add eggs, buttermilk, and oil; stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. At this point, you can either choose to bake some or all of the muffins, or you can cover the batter and store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.

4. To bake, spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

One of my go-to weeknight meals is homemade pizza. And when I say “homemade,” I mean refrigerated pizza dough because really, who has an hour to let their dough rise when bedtime is at 7:30 p.m.? I like to use the Pillsbury Artisan Whole Grain Pizza Crust but any type of refrigerated dough works.

Because we have pizza so often, I’m always looking for unique toppings to shake things up. I saw this combination in Cooking Light and thought it sounded delightfully different. I made a few changes to the original recipe (refrigerated dough rather than from scratch, slight variation on the toppings, etc.), but we all agreed this would go into our regular rotation.

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

Adapted from Cooking Light 

1 refrigerated pizza crust
6 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 ripe Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach
Balsamic glaze (I used Supremo Italiano Fig Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar)
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out the crust in your pizza pan. Brush the crust with olive oil and prebake for 7 minutes.

2. Top the crust with the pears, prosciutto, and goat cheese and continue baking for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

3. Allow the pizza to cool just slightly before topping with the spinach. Drizzle the pizza with the balsamic glaze, and then cut and serve.

Last month, I made soba noodles for the first time (Soy Citrus Scallops with Soba Noodles), and my family loved them! Since then, I’ve been looking for another tasty recipe to use the rest of the noodles I bought. So when I came across this recipe the other day on Foodie Crush, I had to try it.

It was so delicious! The flavors are so fresh and bright, but the dish is comforting at the same time. I can’t wait to make this again in the summer when we can throw the shrimp on the grill for a little extra flavor.

Garlic Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp
From Foodie Crush
serves 4

for the sauce
1/4 cup ponzu sauce, found in the Asian aisle of most grocers
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
the juice of one lime

for the noodles & shrimp
1 8 or 9 ounce package of soba noodles (substitute whole wheat spaghetti if needed)
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
8-10 brown mushrooms, sliced
1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cliantro, chopped
1 green onion, chopped for garnish
1 lime, quartered and sliced

1. In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Season water with 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt and add soba noodles. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Drain in colander, rinse well with cold water and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet on medium-high heat until oil slithers about the pan and add garlic, shallots and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently taking care that garlic doesn’t burn. Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and shallots a bit crispy. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Meanwhile, heat a skillet or grill over medium high heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to shrimp, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until just opaque on the inside. Shrimp will continue to cook once taken off the heat so cook carefully or they’ll become tough.

5. Transfer noodles and mushroom mixture to a bowl, season with sauce mixture and combine. Plate noodles in mounds and top with grilled shrimp. Serve with cilantro, green onion and jalapeno slices.

In this age of Pinterest, I have pinned and tried a LOT of breakfast casseroles, most of which have been abysmal disasters. I once tried making this tater tot casserole that had been repinned a gazillion times. It was the greasiest, most disgusting thing … we couldn’t even eat it. It kills me to throw food away but that one went straight in the bin and we went straight to McDonald’s (yes, the casserole was greasier than McDonald’s, it was that bad!).

So this past Christmas, I really tried to research recipes and read reviews before choosing our breakfast dish for Christmas morning. I finally decided on this Easy Breakfast Casserole recipe from Food.com, with a few changes. Instead of ham, I used sausage, and I also added a bunch of veggies. Everyone raved about this casserole, even going so far as to say it was the best one they’d ever had!

I’ve since made it a few more times, swapping out sausage for turkey bacon and using whatever seasonal veggies were on sale at the store. You can really make it whatever you want, but the combo below is my fav so far. The success of this casserole is all down to one unexpected ingredient—Stove Top stuffing! Strange, yes, but it holds everything together while injecting some killer flavor.

Best Breakfast Casserole
Adapted from Food.com 

2 cups Stove Top Chicken Stuffing mix
2 cups milk
6 eggs, beaten
½ tsp salt
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (I used Hormel Fully Cooked Bacon—easier and less calories)
1 cup shredded gouda cheese
1 small tomato, diced
½ bunch of asparagus, chopped
4 oz sliced portabella mushrooms
½ red pepper, diced
½ cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
Olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute. Add asparagus, mushrooms, red pepper, and onion and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set them aside to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Slowly add in the cooked vegetables and mix well.

4. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Growing up in southern Virginia, this comforting dish was a staple at our dinner table the moment the temperature dropped. I consider myself something of a connoisseur when it comes to chicken and dumplings, so when I came across a healthier version in Cooking Light, I wasn’t expecting much.

How could this low-cal version possibly compare to my beloved (and now closed *sniff sniff!) Rodman’s Bones & Buddy’s? I’d say it compared pretty well! I made a couple of changes to the original recipe to make it a bit easier and to up the veggie count. You need to try this one before the winter’s out—trust me, you won’t be disappointed (Mom, I’m talking to you!).

Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from Cooking Light 

1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup dry sherry
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
4 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 can condensed, reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, and corn)
¼ cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups Bisquick mix
2/3 cup skim milk

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the next five ingredients (sherry through soup) and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and bring back up to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes.

3. Stir in the frozen vegetables.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and the cornstarch, and then add the mixture to the pot, stirring well.

5. In another bowl, mix together the Bisquick and the milk. Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the pot.

6. Bring the chicken mixture to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes, turning over the dumplings and stirring occasionally.

7. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done. 

It’s no secret that kids love mac and cheese, but it’s not exactly a well-balanced, healthy meal on its own. So I’m always looking for ways to sneak in the good stuff under cover of cheesy goodness. I recently used the sun-dried tomato mozzarella Laughing Cow Light cheese in pasta and added spinach and chicken to make it a meal.

Below, I use the Queso Chipotle variety to make a yummy southwestern mac and cheese. You can use whatever veggies and/or meat you want to really make this a meal your family will love!

Southwestern Mac and Cheese

12 oz veggie pasta
4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Queso Chipotle cheese
¼ cup skim milk
1 cup corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup canned or fresh chopped tomatoes
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Olive oil

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

2.  In a large sauté pan, heat about a ½ tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until nearly done. Stir in the mushrooms and continue cooking until the chicken is done all the way through.

3. Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the pasta, corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, and milk. Combine all the ingredients and continue stirring until the cheese has melted and everything is heated through.

Note: You can save a bit of time by using frozen, cooked grilled chicken strips, such as Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken. You will still need to sauté it until it’s heated through, but it should only take 2-3 minutes.