Martini Madness

I have to give it to Hungry Girl again, I found these three low calorie martini recipes and loved them all! I promised to give you more cocktails to vary up my blog. It is getting really hot outside and I figured to help everyone make this summer more tolerable I would try to cool off with some nice cold martini's. Let me know what you all think!

Orange Creamsicle Martini

This low-calorie cocktail tastes EXACTLY like those sherbet 'n ice cream bars you used to eat as a kid... Mmmmmmmm!

Ingredients:
4 oz. diet orange soda, room temperature
1.5 oz. orange-flavored vodka (like Smirnoff Twist of Orange)

1.5 oz. Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
1 tbsp. Cool Whip Free

Directions: Place all ingredients in a martini shaker, but DO NOT shake (or the carbonated soda will explode!). Mix thoroughly with a spoon until mixture is mostly lump-free. Add about 1 cup ice (crushed, if you've got it), and stir until mixture is cold. Then place the strainer on top and pour into a large martini glass. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving: PER SERVING (entire recipe, 1 martini): 109 calories, 0g fat, 69mg sodium, 2.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 0g protein

Kickin' Key Lime Pie Martini

This one tastes even better than a slice of key lime pie! Don't believe us? TRY IT!!!

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. lime-flavored vodka (like Finlandia Lime or Smirnoff Twist of Lime)
1 oz. Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
2 tbsp. pineapple juice
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. Cool Whip Free

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a martini shaker with 1 cup ice (crushed ice works best). Cover the top of the shaker, and shake thoroughly. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING(entire recipe, 1 martini): 129 calories, 0g fat, 21mg sodium, 7g carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugars, 0g protein

Mounds Bar Martinis

Creamy... chocolatey... coconut-y and deeeeeeeelicious. This recipe will rock your world!

Ingredients:
3 oz. vodka (80 proof)
1 packet Diet Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix (the 25-calorie one)
2 oz. Torani Sugar Free Coconut Syrup
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:

Fill a martini shaker halfway with ice (preferably crushed). Combine cocoa mix with 2 oz. hot water, and mix well. Then add 2 oz. cold water, and pour the mixture into the martini shaker. Add the vodka, syrup and Reddi-wip, and cover the top of the shaker. Shake for about a minute, or until the liquid is cold. Then strain into 2 martini glasses. Enjoy!

Makes 2 Servings: (half of recipe, 1 martini): 112 calories, 0g fat, 80mg sodium, 2.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 1.5g sugars, 1g protein

Louisiana Greens and “Sausage”

I have been extremely busy lately! Trying to find a job has turned out to be more difficult than I originally thought. I am sorry I haven't updated as much as I should but I have lost track of time. With all the stress of trying to find a job and getting ready to move to New York I have decided to take another trip home to San Diego for a little more relaxation and rest.

Anyways back to the food, this recipe is different and tasty! I was a little hesitant when I first saw this recipe but after trying it I was pleasantly surprised. It has a ton of flavor without all the calories. I hope that you will all enjoy this southern cooking as much as we did this weekend!

Ingredients:
Serves 6

2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
1 14-oz. bulk-style soy “sausage”
16 oz. mixed greens, such as mustard, collard, turnip and spinach
2 1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/3 cup white wine or vegetable stock
2 cups vegetarian “chicken” stock, boiling
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 Tbs. dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

• Heat oil and crushed pepper over medium-high heat in a very large saucepan or stockpot for 1 minute. Add garlic and onions. Cook for 2 minutes, and add soy “sausage,” stirring and breaking apart with a large spoon.
• Cook mixture for 7 minutes, stirring frequently until browned. Add greens, reduce heat to medium-low and cook mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until greens cook down.
• Add vinegar, wine, stock and tomato sauce. Reduce heat to low.
• Cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add thyme, and cook 5 minutes longer, or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: Calories 155, Protein 13g, Total fat 2g, Carbs 20g, Sodium 392mg, Fiber 5g, Sugars 5g

Grilled Veggie Salad

I am home in San Diego this week and with the beautiful weather outside and lovely scenery I decided to post a recipe that is light and easy. This salad is quick to prepare and low in calories! I made it for my family last night and they were extremely impressed...which was exciting because if they knew how easy it was to prepare I don't think I would have gotten so much praise :) I will hopefully be inspired more by the amazing view from my house and post lots of recipes this week!

Next week I am going wine tasting in Napa Valley so I will let you know how that goes!! I am hoping to find some new yummy wines and if I find any good food and wine pairings I will let you all know!

Ingredient list
Serves 4

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
6 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
2 medium-size portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch rings (about 2 cups)
6 cups baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried

Directions:

• Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, parsley, basil and garlic in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss sauce with asparagus, mushrooms and onion in shallow baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Coat grill or grill pan with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Preheat to medium-high heat.
• Place spinach in large serving bowl; set aside.
• Drain asparagus mixture, reserving marinade. Grill vegetables 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, or until tender and lightly charred. Transfer to cutting board. Cool 2 minutes, and cut into bite-size pieces.
• Add grilled vegetables to spinach. Transfer reserved marinade to small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Pour over salad mixture. Toss salad with hot marinade, using tongs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving- Calories 285, Fat 15g, Carbs, 21g, Fiber 6g, Sugar 8g, Sodium 203mg, Protein 5g

Mud Pie Blizzard

Today was so hot and muggy and I wanted something cold to help me get through the day. This recipe from my favorite site Hungry Girl was the perfect afternoon pick me up. I think this summer is going to be a hot one so I am going to begin looking for more cold low calorie treats to help me survive another summer!

Ingredients:

1 Serving

3/4 cup Breyers Double Churn Free fat-free ice cream, French Chocolate

1 No Sugar Added Fudgsicle pop (the 40-calorie single version)

1/2 pack 100 Calorie Packs Oreo Thin Crisps, slightly crushed

2 tsp. Hershey's Lite chocolate syrup

1/2 - 3/4 tsp. instant c offee (depending on how much you like coffee flavoring)

1/2 tsp. Coffee-mate Original Fat Free powdered creamer, dissolved in

2 tbsp. warm water 1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)

3/4 cup crushed ice (about 4 - 6 cubes)

Directions:

• Combine the chocolate syrup, instant coffee, and sweetener with the Coffee-mate mixture. Add 2 tbsp. of cold water, and then pour into the blender.
• Cut the fudge pop into pieces (removing the stick), and add the pieces to the blender as well. Then add the ice cream and crushed ice.
• Blend briefly at low-to-medium speed until just mixed. Spoon mixture into a glass, and then stir in the cookie pieces.
• If needed, place in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 253 Fat: 2g Sodium: 222mg Carbs: 59g Fiber: 8.5g Sugars: 29g Protein: 7g

Fantastic Faux-Fried Zucchini

This fantastic recipe from Hungry Girl is the perfect solution for any greasy food craving you might get. I have always loved zucchini but I wanted a new way to enjoy it and after trying this recipe I became hooked. They are the perfect size and consistency! I made them a little earlier today and my roommate and I enjoyed them with some yummy cosmopolitans to get ready to see the new Sex and the City movie tonight!

Below is a classy recipe for a cosmopolitan that will be sure to wow your friends before you go and enjoy the movie!

Ingredients:
Serves 3

2 large zucchini; ends removed
3/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original); ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1 tbsp. powdered ranch dressing/dip mix
1/4 tsp. plus 1 dash garlic powder
1/4 tsp. plus 1 dash onion powder
1/4 tsp. plus 1 dash oregano
2 dashes pepper
2 dashes salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut zucchini into half-inch-wide circles. Blot away any excess moisture with a paper towel. Place egg substitute in a medium-sized dish, and season with a dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• In a separate medium-sized container, combine cereal breadcrumbs with 1/4 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano -- add the ranch mix and a dash each of salt and pepper, and then mix well. Set out a baking pan, and spray with nonstick spray.
• Toss zucchini circles in the egg substitute until they are all evenly covered. One by one, coat zucchini with breadcrumbs (giving them a shake first to remove excess egg substitute), and lay them flat on the baking pan.
• Place in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Flip zucchini circles over, and return to the oven for about 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and zucchini is cooked through.

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1/3rd of recipe (1 generous serving) Calories: 78, Fat: <1g,>

Ingredients:

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 oz Rose's® lime juice

1/2 oz cranberry juice

Directions:

• Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, and serve.

In case you want to know...the average Cosmo has around 168 calories, but one won't kill you so go ahead and enjoy!

Pissaladière Pizza Recipe

You may not know what Pissaladière is and to be honest I didn't before reading Vegetarian Times either. Pissaladière is a type of pizza made in southern France, around the Nice, Marseilles, Toulon and the Var Districts. I am always up for something new so when I came across this recipe I thought it would be something fun and different to try. It was different from anything I have made before but I love a good challenge every now and then. Making dough from scratch was not as easy as I thought it would be but a lot more fun than expected! If you have some free time this weekend and feel like going outside of your comfort zone go ahead and try this out and you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients:

Serves 6
3 Tbs. olive oil
4 lb. sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 recipe Quick Whole Grain Dough (see below)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips
20 black olives such as kalamata, pitted and halved

Directions:

• Heat oil over medium-low heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 35 to 45 minutes, or until onions are very soft. Meanwhile, prepare dough.
• Uncover pan, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, 10 minutes, until liquid has evaporated and onions are brown. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
• Place an inverted baking sheet on oven rack set in lowest position. Preheat oven to 450F.
• Divide dough into 2 balls. Place 1 ball in center of 15-inch piece of parchment paper. Flatten into a 10-inch circle.
• Spread half of onions over dough, leaving 3?4-inch border. Arrange half of red pepper strips in crisscross pattern. Dot with half of olives. Repeat with remaining dough and toppings. Slide parchment papers with tarts onto baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until crust is golden.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: Calories 370, Protein 8g, Total fat 13g, Carbs 57g, Sodium 620mg, Fiber 5g, Sugars 16g

Quick Whole Grain Dough
Makes 2 10-inch tarts Vegan

This dough takes under 2 minutes to mix and knead. If the dough is ready before you are, you can punch it down and let it rise again, or even make it ahead and refrigerate it, covered, overnight. Bring it to room temperature before shaping.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. instant yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil, preferably extra virgin
3/4 cup warm water (105—110F)

Directions:

• Combine both flours, yeast and salt in food processor; pulse to combine. With motor running, add olive oil and warm water through feed tube, and process about 15 seconds, or until dough forms a ball.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface, and knead just until smooth and manageable, about 1 minute. Place dough in greased bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with damp kitchen towel, and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Dough is ready when fingerprint on surface fills in slowly.)

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

Pesto Portobellos Recipe

I love portobello mushrooms and wanted to try something fun this weekend. When I saw pesto and mushrooms in this recipe from Vegetarian Times I was sold!! I thought this was going to be difficult to prepare but I found it easier than expected which is always a plus. Everyone that tried this had nothing but good things to say about it! This can be made for dinner or appetizers so no matter where you are headed you are sure to be the hit of the night with this recipe.
Ingredients:
Serves 8 for dinner or 32 appetizers
8 large portobello caps, about 6 inches round
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt to taste
2/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2/3 cup prepared basil pesto
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, optional
1/3 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley or mint for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450F. Line two shallow roasting pans or baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Gently wipe mushroom caps with damp towel. Use paring knife to pry out any bits of stems; chop stems finely.
• Lightly brush tops of caps with oil. Set caps, gill sides up, in prepared pans. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Combine chopped stems, breadcrumbs, pesto, lemon zest, vinegar and hazelnuts, if using. Spoon about 2 rounded tablespoons of topping into each mushroom.
• Roast mushrooms on top rack 5 minutes. Switch to bottom rack. Continue roasting until tender, 10 to 15 minutes total. Sprinkle grated cheese liberally on each mushroom, and garnish with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information:
Per SERVING: Calories 230, Protein 6g, Total fat 17g, Carbs 11g, Cholesterol 10mg, Sodium 500mg, Fiber 2g, Sugars 2g

What is your favorite appetizer to serve to your friends and family? When I am feeling lazy I love just putting out pretzels and cheese! Really, I think I can eat pretzels with anything, they are my miracle food :)

Apple Cobbler

Another amazing low-calorie recipe from Hungry-Girl! I am all about desserts and sweets so any time I can find something as amazing as this that only has 126 calories for 1 cup I will try it no matter what! Luckily this turned out to taste as good as it looks! Apples and cinnamon, I don't think there is a better combination especially for dessert. I love chocolate, don't get me wrong but every now and then I want something that is a little lighter and I don't have to feel as guilty about after I finish. Try this recipe the next time you are craving something sweet and it will definitely not disappoint!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

3 cups peeled apple chunks (any sweet, not tart, variety)

1/2 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)

2 sheets (8 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers

2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute

2 tbsp. no-sugar-added applesauce

3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated), divided

2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. cinnamon, divided

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine 2/3 cup of cold water with brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tbsp. of the Splenda. Stir well.
• In a medium-sized pot, combine apple chunks with this mixture. Heat the apple mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once liquid thickens to a syrupy consistency and begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, and then transfer mixture to a medium-sized round baking dish. Set aside.
• Next, break graham crackers into small pieces. Place graham pieces and Fiber One in a blender or food processor, and grind to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Transfer crumbs to a microwave-safe dish, and add egg substitute, applesauce, 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and the remaining 2 tbsp. of Splenda. Stir well.
• Microwave graham mixture for 1 minute. Use a fork to break up the toughened mixture as much as possible, and then allow it to cool for a few minutes. Transfer graham mixture to a food processor or blender, and pulse until crumbly and uniform.
• Evenly distribute graham topping over apple mixture. Place the dish in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Allow cobbler to cool slightly before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size: 1/4th of cobbler (about 1 cup) Calories: 126 Fat: 1g Sodium: 236mg Carbs: 33g Fiber: 5.5g Sugars: 16g Protein: 2g

What is your favorite dessert food combination?