Double Cheese Zucchini Pizzas
Posted: May 3, 2012 Filed under: The Smart Cookie Cook | Tags: dinner, easy, food, healthy, low calorie, lunch, pizza, Recipe, zucchini 7 Comments »
Let’s talk about cheese.
Melty, ooey-gooey cheese atop a crisp crust, paired with zesty marinara sauce, and crowned with fresh slices of zucchini.
Are you hungry yet?
These individual Double Cheese Zucchini Pizzas are going to change your life, no exaggeration. They are so good; I’m talking scarf-the-whole-thing-down-in-60-seconds good. But you know what?
They’re guilt-free. I’m talking low-calorie, low-fat, and packed with nutrients. Let me pause for a moment while we praise the pizza gods…
Since I’m so utterly obsessed with pizza, I am constantly trying new ways to get my pizza fix while still eating healthy. I’ve made everything from Light English Muffin Pizzas (AWESOME) to Pizza Burger Pitas (also delicious). It’s all been incredible, perfect for silencing the pesky voice pleading for pizza in my head. However, this zucchini pizza is the best guilt-free pizza recipe I’ve ever tried. Why? Because it tastes exactly like full-calorie, full-fat pizza!
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Heatlhy Cookie: Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake
Posted: March 22, 2012 Filed under: Casseroles, Dinner, Healthy, Low-Cal, Side Dish, The Smart Cookie Cook | Tags: cheese, dinner, healthy, low calorie, side dish, spaghetti squash 8 Comments »
Have you ever made spaghetti squash? How weird is it when you cut it open, start scooping out its innards, and find that the rumors are true; that it really looks like spaghetti?
Spaghetti Squash is one of the many wonders of food that has always baffled me. How does that little yellow guy naturally shape his squashy interior to resemble pasta? Why isn’t spaghetti squash just one big block o’ squash like other squashes are? Whatever the reason, you’ve got to admit, it’s pretty awesome. Mother nature has a few tricks up her sleeve, no doubt.
Spaghetti squash, like most other squashes, is a nutritious blank canvas just begging to be transformed into something extra special. Lately, on Pinterest, I’ve been seeing folks do just that: they take spaghetti squash and make it into decadent cheese-filled casseroles. We’re talking seriously drool-inducing recipes. The only problem is how fattening and calorie-cramming those dishes are. Isn’t there a way to make a tasty, cheese-tastic squash bake without all that bad-for-you stuff?
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Healthy Cookie: Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale
Posted: March 14, 2012 Filed under: Appetizer, Dinner, Healthy, Low-Cal, Side Dish, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: beans, cheese, food, healthy, kale, low calorie, vegetarian 9 Comments »
I know; I’ve been going kale crazy lately. But can you blame me? It’s so good!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: kale is the king of greens. It is chock full of nutrients and plain old delicious. It’s the tastiest of all greens in my humble opinion. With all that good stuff in such a natural, untouched form, kale is truly a bundle of benefits given as a gracious gift from Nature itself. In today’s day and age (especially as Americans), we’ve been trained to love foods that are processed, chemically enhanced, and filled with preservatives. Because of this, foods like kale can be confounding. Kale is untouched, a product of Mother Nature only. And yet, it is so delicious and nutritious.
Okay, so nature is pretty awesome sometimes.
Now, there is but one flaw when it comes to kale: it doesn’t have a significant amount of protein. So how do you balance out the meal? With beans, of course!
I love me some beans. Protein-packed, hearty, and plain old delicious, beans are a super food (much like kale). Therefore, they’re the perfect addition to a kale dish. Put beans and kale together, and what to you get? Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale.
This dish hits all the right marks:
Delicious? Check.
Nutritious? Check.
Protein-packed? Check.
Flavorful? Double check!
Talk about well-rounded!
Fresh kale and tender, creamy cannellini beans get sauteed with veggie stock, garlic, onions, and of course some spicy red pepper flakes to create a sizzling dish with a myriad of textures and flavors. The whole thing is topped off with reduced-fat mozzarella cheese for that little touch of indulgence that even a nutritious meal needs.
The best part is that this delicious meal is crazy low-cal, so you can stuff your face without having to stuff your bulging belly into jeans that no longer fit tomorrow morning. That’s the best kind of meal!
A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:
- Not a fan of cannellini beans? Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) would be a delicious substitute.
- Craving meat? Add some strips of white meat chicken to the mix.
- This meal is super fast, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- This would be delicious with some whole wheat pasta!
Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale
By The Smart Cookie Cook
Ingredients:
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 generous cups roughly chopped fresh kale
- 1/2 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- salt, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 reduced-fat or light mozzarella string cheese stick (like Sargento)
Directions:
- Bring a medium skillet filled with 1/4 cup of veggie stock to medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Saute until aromatic and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add the kale and cover. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until kale begins to wilt.
- Meanwhile, pull the cheese stick into strings then roughly chop. Set aside.
- Once the kale begins to wilt, add the beans, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir. Add up to another 1/4 cup of veggie stock if the kale is too dry for your like. Continue to cook uncovered until beans are hot.
- Turn off the heat, but keep the pan over the burner. Immediately sprinkle the cheese over the top then cover until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Grab yourself a bowl and enjoy!
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110-Calorie Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcakes
Posted: March 10, 2012 Filed under: Dessert, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: baking, chocolate, cucpakes, dessert, healthy, low calorie, marshmallows 8 Comments »
Sometimes, Pinterest is a huge problem. I’ll be sitting and doing work like the diligent college student I am, then all of a sudden, I find myself scrolling through Pinterest. It can be hard to make myself get off. That site is just so crazy addicting, full of brilliant ideas, tantalizing food, and funny cats.
Sometimes though, Pinterest is the solution to a huge problem. Take for example the other day when I was craving something chocolatey for dessert. I was eating relatively healthy that day, and I had no desire to diverge from that in exchange for some thousand-calorie dessert. However, I was sick of my typical low-cal dessert options. In a fit of desperation, I called upon the powers of Pinterest to bestow me with a healthy but delicious treat.
Pinterest, being the gold mine that it is, came through. I discovered a 100-calorie cupcake recipe which was also vegan. Intriguing.
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Healthy Cookie: Kale and Bean Soup
Posted: March 7, 2012 Filed under: Appetizer, Dinner, Healthy, Italian, Low-Cal, Side Dish, Vegetarian | Tags: beans, dinner, healthy, kale, low calorie, soup, vegetarian 10 Comments »
Let’s be honest: we all get bored with our food sometimes. If we could eat whatever we wanted without gaining a single pound, seeing a spike in our cholesterol level, or having to actually make the food ourselves, then that would be a different story. But that’s not the case. We’re limited by time, money, and the number of notches in our belts.
Eating healthy can seem repetitive at times. Eating vegetarian and healthy can be even worse. I get into these periodic ruts where I eat the same three or four meals for a couple of weeks until, eventually, I cannot take anymore. It comes down to two options: think of something new and delicious to make, or die.
Alright, that’s a little extreme, but isn’t that what it feels like sometimes? Luckily, I was able to brush some dust off the ol’ idea light bulb and come up with something good: Kale and Bean Soup.
