Super Skinny Spaghetti Bolognese
This is where it's at! I tried spaghetti squash for the first time a few weeks ago and couldn't believe how easy, delicious and misleading it is. I can't eat it without feeling guilty, and have to constantly remind myself there are only 25 calories in a cup. I know this because I make myself Google the nutrition facts every time. Here it's serve with one of my faves - a bolognese sauce, also made skinny with lean turkey breast. Really rich, yet really light. What's not to love?

Serves: 2 (with leftover sauce you can freeze)
Ready in: 1 hour

You'll Need:
1 medium spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flaked
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
parmesan cheese to serve

Here's How:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off both ends of the squash, then cut it in half, longwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds.
2. Place the two halves of the squash face up on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over both of them, and season lightly with salt. Roast for 45 minutes, or until fork tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until light brown, using a spatula to break apart the meat as much as possible. Add the onion and garlic, and cook another 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
4. Add the tomato sauce and half a cup of water to the pot. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano and bay leaf, and season with a little more salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 30-45 minutes, or until the squash is cooked.
6. When the squash is cooked remove it from the oven. Use a fork to scrape the meat, which will be in strings like spaghetti.
7. Serve the squash and sauce as you would spaghetti. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and enjoy.

Easy Plum Tart
Here is easy, peasy, fool-proof dessert, made with just four ingredients. You can easily swap the plums for apples, pears, or apricots, and it would be just as good. Sure, pie crust is involved, but it's very thin, and no extra butter is added to the recipe. Add a nice scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream or fro-yo while it's still warm, and you're golden. 

Serves: 8
Ready in: 25 mins

You'll Need:
1 roll of pre-made pie crust, refrigerated
4 ripe plums, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Here's How:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and lay it flat on the parchment paper.
3. Arrange the sliced plums in a circle, leaving about one inch space around the pie crust.
4. Carefully fold over the pie crust, folding and pinching, around the plums.
5. Sprinkle the sugar over the plums, and season with a pinch of salt. Drizzle the olive oil over the plums and crust.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate, and cut into eight slices.

Inside Out Ham & Swiss Omelet
I'm always looking for ways to make the foods I eat on a regular basis even tastier to prevent myself from becoming bored. Who doesn't love toasty, gooey cheese? Here's how I gave my omelet a twist. Literally.

Serves: 1
Ready in: 5 minutes

You'll Need:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 whole egg, plus 2 egg whites
2 slices low fat ham
1 slice Swiss cheese

Here's How:
1. Use a paper towel to spread the olive oil evenly on a non-stick pan. Heat the pan to medium.
2. Whisk together the egg, egg whites and a pinch of salt. Pour into the pan. Add the ham, then cheese. Cover the egg with the top of a pot, and cook until the egg sets, about 3 minutes. 
3. Use a spatula to carefully flip the egg, and cook another 30 seconds. Fold the omelet over, and serve.

Southwest Turkey Chili
I used to make chili all the time. And I really mean, all the time! I woke up this morning with a small craving, and because I've been on a health kick, I decided I'd use ground turkey breast and give it a kick with southwestern flavors.

Serves: 4-5
Ready in: 25 minutes


You'll Need:
2 tablespoons olive oil*
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 yellow onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 14-oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Here's How:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until brown, about 5-8 minutes, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break it up. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the onion, poblano pepper, garlic, and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes.
3. Add the can of tomatoes, beans, sweet potato, and four cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for about 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is cooked through. Stir in the corn. Taste for seasoning, and serve.

*I used jalapeño-infused olive oil... extra flavor! 

Strawberry Champagne Sangria
One of my best friends, Daniella of Pinkee's Bowtique, came over for a mini "fit cook" photo shoot, and who better to kill a bottle of champagne with than one of your best friends? In all honesty, I used prosecco, because it's what I had on hand, but this delicious cocktail is meant to blow your boring mimosas out of the water. Enjoy the cocktail and the photos. 

Serves: 6-8
Ready in: 5 minutes


You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups of orange juice*
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons grenadine
1 bottle of champagne or sparkling wine

Here's How:
1. Add the orange juice, strawberries and grenadine to a large pitcher. Slowly pour in the champagne and stir. Serve.

Simply Smoothie
This is hardly a recipe but the results were so great that now it's going to be one. I have a lot of frozen pre-cut fruit hanging out in a ziploc bag in my freezer -- they were leftover from the fruit skewers we put out at my sister's baby shower. I took a healthy handful of it and threw it in the blender, then splashed in some OJ to get it going. Let the blender do its thing, and voila. 

Serves: 1
Ready in: 5 minutes

You'll Need:
1 cup frozen fruit, pre-cut into 1-inch cubes*
1/2 cup 100% orange juice

Here's How:
1. Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend on the highest setting until smooth. If more liquid is needed, add water slowly until the smoothie reaches the consistency you like.

*Fruit to use:
cantaloup, pineapple, grapes, strawberries, bananas, papaya, kiwi

Add a splash of rum and you have a daiquiri ;)

Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Waffles
Played with my waffle recipe this morning by adding some fresh raspberries and white chocolate chips that I had leftover from the Valentine's Day muffins I baked for the girls at work -- and what a great idea it was! I love the bite of the raspberry seeds and the intense flavor that develops when they cook on the waffle iron. 

You'll Need:
1 egg + 1 egg white
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brown sugar 
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
maple syrup to serve

Here's How:
1. Preheat the waffle maker to medium.
2. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, canola oil, milk, vanilla and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and still lumpy. Stir in the raspberries and white chocolate chips.
4. Lightly coat the waffle iron with cooking spray. Use a ladle to pour about 1/3 cup of batter on the waffle iron. Close and cook until the red light turns green. Remove and repeat until you are out of batter. 

Inspired by lunch at La Cueva del Chango in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, this soup just tastes natural and authentic. There are no crazy spices and stocks to add flavor, it all comes from the ingredients -- poblano peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, yogurt and chicken breast. It's what I love most about authentic Mexican cuisine.

Serves: 2
Ready in: 20 minutes

You'll Need:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
2 small yellow onions, rough chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
8 ounces plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, divided

Here's How:
1. Cook the chicken breast in a large pot of salted boiling water, about 10 minutes. When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a cutting board and use two forks to pull apart the meat. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Add 3 cups of water to pot and season with extra salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are cooked through.
4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers, onion and garlic to a blender. Add the cilantro, half of the Greek yogurt, and half of the cooking water, and blend, gradually adding more cooking water until the soup reaches a smooth, creamy consistency. 
5. Add a teaspoon of water to the remaining yogurt and whisk until smooth. 
6. Divide the soup, chicken and remaining yogurt among two bowls, and garnish with extra cilantro.

Quinoa Sesame Stir Fry
Here's an idea for a vegan stir fry that is packed with protein and flavor. I became obsessed with bean sprouts and spinach this week - the way both can be crunchy and tender at the same time, not to mention loaded with vitamins. Some shitake mushrooms would have also been wonderful in this dish -- I will be sure to try that next time!

Serves: 2
Ready in: 10 minutes

You'll Need:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup brean sprouts
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds.

Here's How:
1. In a large non-stick pan or wok, heat the oil to medium-high. Add the quinoa and sprouts, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Add the spinach, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Divide among two bowls and sprinkle over with sesame seeds.

Skinny Stuffed Mushrooms
This recipe will probably inspire a really gooey, cheesy spinach artichoke dip... for now, it's just yummy stuffed mushrooms, made the skinny way.

Serves: makes about 30 mushrooms
Ready in: 40 minutes

You'll Need:
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 small shallot chopped
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3 tablespoons plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 lb white button mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Here's How:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the spinach to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook together a couple of minutes, then add the Greek yogurt, red pepper flakes and two tablespoons of the parmesan cheese. Mix until well-combined.
3. Use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop spinach into the mushrooms, then place them in a baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the mushrooms, season with a little more salt and pepper, then drizzle over the remaining olive oil. 
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden.