Turkey Santa Fe Lettuce Wraps

These Santa Fe turkey lettuce wraps are SO good, you'll WANT to save some leftover turkey just to make them (or leftover chicken breast would work too)!

Have you ever had the Spinach Santa Fe Egg Rolls with the Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce from Chili's? They're dangerously good – I don't even want to know how many calories they are. That's where the inspiration for these lighter lettuce wraps came from. The lighting in these photos don't even do them justice.

I actually made my turkey breast in the crock pot last week just so I could have leftovers to create this recipe. I had one for lunch (only 4 WW pp) but since they are so light I think two would be perfect for dinner. If you want to make them Paleo, leave out the beans and add more spinach. I used my Avocado Cilantro Ranch Dressing as my sauce and it was perfect. If you're lazy, you can mash 1/4 avocado into 1/2 cup light ranch dressing instead.

This time of the year is so challenging to eat good. Holiday parties, staying over at relatives, Christmas cookies – I really need will power. So I wanted to create a leftover recipe for turkey that's not just delicious, but also light after a day of indulging on mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie.

Some of you were asking me on Instagram how I stay motivated and I thought I would share what I am doing this year to avoid the Holiday weight gain.

1) I just started tracking everything I eat on my Weight Watchers app to help keep me accountable for everything I eat, plus it reminds me to exercise more (such a great app). Some of you may be using My Fitness Pal, that would work too!

2) Yesterday while at the gym, I paid for 10 sessions of personal training. This was my Christmas present to myself, and it was not cheap. I know it will give me that extra push to make the most out of my workouts, especially since I am paying for them.

3) On days I'm too busy to head out to the gym, I started doing the Shrink Session Workout at home. I love Erin Stutland, I met her a few years ago at Fit Bloggin and instantly felt connected to her. She's a coach, fitness expert, former dancer and feels like your BEST friend all wrapped into one. It's different from your average workout (yes you'll tone your body and burn fat) but what it really does, is help you step into a more a confident, powerful, rock star part of yourself that you may not be in touch with on a daily basis. She's doing a free week long challenge called the Say it, Sweat it, Get it FREE Challenge. If it looks like something you could use, sign up and join me (it's free!)

If you have any tips to share on how you stay motivated, I would love to hear it!
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Light and Easy Cauliflower Gratin

Thanksgiving is at my Mom's house this year. She makes the turkey, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes and we all bring the rest. I always bring a vegetable or two and some appetizers, my cousin brings dessert and my sister in law usually brings a salad.

Last year I made a cauliflower gratin that was a lot more complicated than this, but I wanted to test out an easier version knowing many of you will be looking for easy sides. This is super simple, all done in the oven so you don't need to dirty extra pots and pans. You can double this in a 9 x 12 baking dish if you want to feed more people. I used light Havarti cheese because I love the taste, but you can use Swiss, cheddar or whatever you wish. Each serving is under 100 calories or 2 points plus if you're doing WW.

And BTW, the serving spoon in the photo above and fork below is from Such A Time Designs. Beautiful, affordable silver plated one-of-a-kind hand stamped flatware that makes great gifts. This week I am running a giveaway on Skinny Bits – $100 worth of store credit to use on her Etsy shop. If you're interested click here for details.

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Mini Sweet Potato Meringue Pies

Petite sweet potato pies lightly sweetened with a ripe banana, a touch of brown sugar and spices, then topped with a light meringue topping – perfect for the Holidays!

My Mom hosts Thanksgiving every year, she wouldn't have it any other way! I usually bring a side dish and an appetizer and my cousin Nina usually brings dessert. My cousin Nina has a baking blog called Ambrosia and she often shares some of her delicious treats with us (those parker house rolls on her blog are dangerous!). She's not just a great baker, she's also very talented in photography, writing, and she just graduated from Columbia University so I put her up to the challenge of creating her first guest post for me and she really came through! Please welcome her and visit her blog if you love to bake.

Hi, everyone!  My name is Nina, and I'm the blogger behind Ambrosia, a site full of everything you could imagine about creating simple and delicious baked recipes.  I'm very excited to be sharing this recipe for mini sweet potato meringue pies. Creating this recipe was something very new to me.  I'm no stranger to coming up with creative pie, cookie, and cupcake recipes, but this recipe was a bit different.  My blog features traditional style recipes, full of butter, cream, and sugar, so the recipes I share tend to be on the indulgent side.  However, this doesn't mean that I'm always thinking about rich foods; on the contrary, I actually care a lot, more than some people know, about eating healthy whole foods.  I love being active and over the past several years have grown to love all kinds of exercise, and eating a lot of healthy foods is definitely one of my priorities to help keep my cake and ice cream obsession in check.  Fortunately for me, my cousin Gina has been a great resource for coming up with healthy meals!  I actually prepared a lot of her recipes while I was living away from home during college, and love it when she asks for taste testers for her new recipes.  Who knew that eating healthy could be so easy, and delicious?!

I was pretty excited when Gina asked me to help her come with a perfect dessert for Thanksgiving.  There was a catch though: I had to stick to a specific number of points per serving!  Yikes!  I was up for the challenge though, and immediately knew that I wanted to make pie.  Pie is one of my absolute favorite things to make, so I knew that that I wanted to make a skinny pie dessert, and sweet potato pie seemed like a great way to go.  To make the pie filling light, I used a trick I saw on many sweet potato casserole recipes.  Adding a ripe banana to the sweet potato puree is the secret to keeping this sweet potato pie filling light.  Since the banana adds natural sweetness to the sweet potato, it means that you need hardly any additional sugar at all!  Rolling out a store-bought pie crust a little bit thinner helps keep the points low, and also makes life a little bit easier.  Meringue is naturally fat free, so it was a great way to add a little more sweetness without increasing the points per serving, as well as adding some marshmallow flavor to the sweet potato filling, because who doesn't love that flavor combination?  I thought making mini pies would be great for Thanksgiving, because they not only help with portion control, but also looks cute and festive.  You can make the pies the day before, top them with the meringue just before serving, and all that's left is arranging them on a pretty platter and digging in.  At only 4 points plus per serving, these will go fast!  Hope you enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Garlic Sweet Potato Mash

These savory sweet potatoes are the perfect addition to your turkey dinner – let your slow cooker help you out in the kitchen this Thanksgiving!

I've adapted my sweet potato mashed potato recipe for the slow cooker, as another option for you this Thanksgiving Day. The slow cooker is a great appliance to use on those days you have a lot to cook, and not enough room on your stove and this sweet potato recipe couldn't be easier to adapt for the slow cooker.

I've also done this with maple, I just skipped the garlic and added 1 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup instead for a sweeter version. Enjoy!

And since so many are asking, I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it's done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This crock pot is so great, I actually own two!

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Loaded Philly Cheesesteak Baked Potato

Quick skillet steak with onions, peppers and mushrooms are loaded on top of a baked potato and topped with melted cheese – this is awesome and perfect for the meat and potato lover in your life!

I've had this idea for a while, and finally made it for dinner to test it out – start to finish this took 20 minutes and it was so good! I used a full fat provolone cheese, because I wanted the cheese to melt nice, after all this is a cheese steak and at 8 points plus for the whole meal I was able to splurge. If you want to use reduced fat, that's totally up to you, you'll save 1 point.

Can you do this with sweet potato? Of coarse you can! But I thought russet would pair perfect with the steak and just to clear up the confusion, white potatoes aren't all that bad for you. Potatoes are have gotten a bad rap as a white starchy food, but when they're not drowning in butter or deep fried as french fries, they are actually a healthy, low calorie, high fiber food and a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, potassium and manganese. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity so if you want to stick with a traditional baked potato, it's OK!

Skinny Tip: If you buy bag of russet potatoes, the potatoes are much smaller than the ones they sell individually, they average about 5 to 6 oz each.

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Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Whole wheat pasta baked in the oven with a quick pumpkin sauce made with bacon, shallots, pecorino cheese and a touch of rosemary then topped with mozzarella cheese. This is such a great Fall dish and my husband loved how it turned out!

I'm really excited to share this pasta dish, because I finally found a brand of whole wheat pasta that me and my family actually likes. Even my husband couldn't believe it was whole wheat and thought they had to be lying. The brand is Delallo, and I honestly can't say enough good things about them.

It's definitely more of a high end pasta in price, but for me good pasta is worth paying more for. Not only is their pasta 100% whole grain, it's also organic and cut with bronze plates which is always my favorite kind of pasta. But what really gets me excited is they sell their whole wheat pasta in every pasta shape you can think of, from standard spaghetti, linguini and penne, to the more exotic shapes like orecchiette, gemelli and fusilli bucati just to name a few. I found a few of those shapes in my local supermarket, but you can also buy them on their website.

Back to this pasta dish, I wanted to make this quick so I opted for canned pumpkin. But you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree which in my opinion always tastes best! You could also use butternut squash in place of pumpkin if you wish and if you're eating gluten free you can certainly use brown rice pasta.

Canned pumpkin really has no taste, so I added flavor my sauteeing some bacon and shallots, then I added a little fresh rosemary and Pecorino Romano to mimick a pumpkin pasta gnocchi dish I love ordering out, then thinned it out with some chicken broth. My husband just happened to walk in the door when it was ready, and I love getting his opinion because he's brutally honest – and he loved it and even went back for seconds.

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Skinny Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Squares

 
Cheesecake squares with a cranberry swirl and a gingersnap pecan crust – so good, less guilt and perfect for the Holidays!

I'm so excited to share these with you, they turned out even better than I expected! 

 

A few years ago I started experimenting with adding fat free Greek yogurt to my cheesecakes and now it's a standard for me. It's a great way to cut down on the fat and the flavor is wonderful. This is a variation of my strawberry cheesecake swirl recipe, and my chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake, only for a Fall/Winter theme cranberries are in perfect and in season. The gingersnap and pecan crust is the perfect compliment – you'll love this!

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Dad's Creamy Cauliflower Soup

We're getting some cold weather here in New York for Autumn, temperatures are in the thirties – a perfect day for soup. This recipe is an oldie but goodie, one I make quite often and grew up eating as a kid and since I was making it today, I thought I would highlight it for those of you who haven't tried it.

Both my parents loved to cook and no doubt that has rubbed off on my brother and I. My Dad's style of cooking was very different from my Mom's since he was born in Prague, Czech and she was born in Colombia. As you can imagine, the meals we group up with were pretty eclectic, but one of the simplest recipes my Dad made was this soup.

As a kid, we had a cup of homemade soup almost every night before dinner. I wasn't always happy about this, because believe it or not, I was pretty picky. But on the night's we had this soup, I never complained. 

My father lost his vision a few years ago, so sadly he no longer cooks. But thankfully he is still with us, and I've been trying to learn some of the dishes he once cooked. This one is EASY, only 5 ingredients and you have yourself a warm, delicious bowl of soup that is so light you can serve this as a first course for dinner or with a half sandwich for lunch.

There is no cream added, the silky texture is simply from pureeing it.  Dad used water and chicken bouillon which I often do (I use Better Than Bouillon) but here I used chicken broth instead; use whatever works for you. Sometimes I add some diced carrots, or even celery – there are no rules here.

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Farro and Sausage Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash

This simple savory stuffed acorn squash is easy to make and filled with the wonderful flavors of Fall.  The stuffing is made with farro, chicken sausage, mushrooms, celery, onions and sage – you'll love this!

It doesn't get easier than this: simply halve and hollow out acorn squash, then season with salt and roast in the oven. Nothing like warming up the kitchen on a blistery night with baked squash in the oven. While that bakes make the stuffing on the stove, then when the squash is ready fill it with the stuffing and serve – the results are a soft, flavorful squash filled with savory goodness! 

In the Fall I love preparing squash, whether it’s butternut, pumpkin, spaghetti, or acorn and I’m always looking for great new ways to prepare it. I recently had a stuffed acorn squash at a restaurant that was pretty good, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking it would taste so much better with this farro stuffing, which I LOVE! This stuffing is an adaptation of this brown rice and sausage stuffing, which you could of course use instead of farro. I've also made it with barley and it was wonderful.

Farro is my favorite new grain – I love it's chewy, nutty texture which holds up perfectly in this stuffing, but farro does contain gluten so if you want to make this gluten-free, swap it out for brown rice. This is perfect for a weeknight meal, but would also make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving table. Simply eat with a spoon to scoop out all the wonderful squash with the stuffing in every bite – enjoy!
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Morning Maple Cranberry Pecan Oat Bars

 

Chewy bars with chunks of toasted pecans and dried cranberries combined with toasted oats, almond butter and pure maple syrup. I'm in LOVE with these bars!

I made these bars last week and I couldn't wait to share them with you. I've been eating one every morning for breakfast (in fact I am having one now as I type this). These are by far, the best tasting bars I've ever had, they are chewy and have great texture, made with wholesome ingredients – one bar is a meal and it's perfect to take on the go. They are also egg free, dairy free, vegan, and can be made gluten free if you use gf oats. Next time I make these, I plan on rolling them into smaller balls and turning them into healthy cookies instead.

The recipe is very slightly modified from the Power Hungry: Ultimate Energy Cookbook. Camilla really knows how to make great tasting breakfast bars, you may remember the banana split bars I made a few month back also from the same book.

You can use any type of mild flavored unsweetened nut butter, such as almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter. Peanut butter would also work perfectly well in this recipe, but it can overwhelm the flavor of the maple syrup. Toasting the oats and pecans adds tremendous flavor, but if you are in a hurry, you can skip this step.

Once made, individually and tightly wrap the bars in plastic wrap. Store the bars at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Alternatively, place the wrapped bars in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Let the frozen bars thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour.

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Broiled Wild Salmon with Apple Cherry Chutney and My Trip to Harry and David

 

This simple salmon recipe is easy and delicious – perfect for a weeknight family meal or elegant enough to scale up for a larger crowd if you want to host a dinner party.

Just a few weeks ago I had this at a dinner party hosted by my friend Sandy who blogs at The Reluctant Entertainer during my trip to Harry and David in southern Oregon. The Autumn weather in southern Oregon couldn't have been more perfect and we dined al fresco in her beautiful backyard on chalkboard paper lined tables with pears for centerpieces. 

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Cauliflower Tots

If you need a way to get your family to eat more vegetables, give these a try. These kid-friendly cauliflower tots are so good, they won't realize they are eating cauliflower. They are great as a side dish and are easy to make. 

Last year I fell in love with zucchini tots, and since adapted the recipe using cauliflower instead during the colder months when zucchini isn't in season. I also had issues with them sticking to my mini muffin pan, and found making them on a non-stick baking sheet the perfect solution. My older daughter loves these, but my toddler still prefers to eat her vegetables raw (go figure!). I plan in trying these with broccoli next, will let you know how they turn out!
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Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro and spices are simmered in a skillet with green chilies and jalapeno, then wrapped in tortillas and baked in the oven with enchilada sauce and cheese – these vegetarian enchiladas are delicious and perfect for meatless Mondays, or any day of the week!

Yup, I'm pretty enchilada obsessed and this meatless version did not dissappoint. Because of my love affair with enchiladas, I always make my own enchilada sauce and keep it frozen; you can use the recipe from my skinny chicken enchiladas but if you're pressed for time store bought enchilada sauce would be fine. Canned beans are inexpensive so this is a great meal if you're on a budget. I served this with fiesta lime rice, but you can also have this with cilantro lime cauliflower "rice" to keep the carbs low.

Butternut squash has so many health benefits; it's low in fat, loaded with fiber, rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, just to name a few. Combine that with black beans which are super high in fiber and protein and you have one healthy dish which is not only satisfying, it tastes great too. Enjoy!

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PB + J Smoothie and Better Blog Retreat

Strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter and almond milk – this is my favorite smoothie to order when I'm at my gym. It tastes almost like peanut butter and jelly – but it actually has no grapes.  I often make this myself at home; the peanut butter is a great source of protein and keeps me full until lunch and I just love how it tastes.

I just got a new KitchenAid 5 Speed Diamond Blender thanks to the Better Blog Retreat and I immediately knew I was going to make this smoothie to put it to the test. The blender is quite powerful and crushes ice perfectly. I give it two thumbs up!

I've been doing so much traveling these past few weeks and I'm a bit behind in sharing my amazing four days spent in Park City, Utah with some of my favorite blogging friends for the Better Blog Retreat hosted by Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod and Heidi from Foodie Crush. 

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