Category: lunch

Grilled Greek Chicken & Cucumber Noodle Salad

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I’ve been wanting to post a greek-marinated chicken recipe and while exploring for inspiration, found another tasty alternative to traditional green leaves and zucchini noodles…cucumber noodles! And how perfect is that with a greek-inspired dish right!? This recipe is so flavorful, yet so light and summery. The light saltiness of the Kalamata olives and feta cheese really compliment the bright herby and lemony flavors of the chicken and dressing. Being a huge cucumber fan (He just snacks on it whole, like a giant carrot), my husband said he prefers this over any other type of salad!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy, low fat, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly, low carb

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Curried Chicken Salad

Mel and TammyLeave a comment

It’s definitely hot out there so I’ve been trying to find some no-cook recipes to avoid any heat from the stove and oven. Thank you to our friend Gaby as well for your no-cook ideas question. It’s really inspired us to go on the hunt for creative and quick ways to whip up delicious meals without that added heat. I love the exotic flavor of curry, especially on chicken, and wanted to find a way to enjoy it as a summer treat. Ina Garten’s curried chicken salad recipe is fabulous! The use of the chutney really brings it to a whole new level and there is great texture with the celery and cashews. I lowered the fat by using light mayo and non-fat greek yogurt and also lowered the salt. This is a must try!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy, low fat, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly and low carb (if eaten on wheat or without bread)

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Rosemary Lemon Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Mel and Tammy4 Comments

This recipe was inspired by a delicious grilled scallops and red pepper recipe I always loved by Paula Deen. But instead of roasting and wrapping red pepper around the scallops, I wanted to create a luscious, yet light and bright sauce. I saw a similar shrimp with red pepper aioli recipe that used egg yolks but wanted to cut down on the fat so I used non-fat green yogurt instead and replaced the shrimp with scallops. Scallops are not only luxurious, but actually have less cholesterol than shrimp, promote a healthy heart and are high in omega 3s! Plus, I can’t get enough of rosemary and lemon, so this recipe just sung to me. If you want to present an elegant, yet very easy and quick dish, this is the one!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy, low carb, low fat, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly

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Rachael Ray’s Greek Farro Bowls

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As usual, I was watching  the Rachael Ray show and she made the most delicious Mediterranean dish-Farro Bowls!  Farro is an “ancient grain” that kind of reminds me of barley. It’s mild in flavor and has a nice bite/chew to it. Farro is a healthy carbohydrate source for people-even if you have kidney disease or diabetes. I buy my farro at Trader Joes. If you love the flavors of Mediterranean dishes, you’ll love this! It has kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, lemon, and garlic just to name a few! Thank you Rachael Ray for this super fabulous dish!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney friendly, diabetes friendly

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Kenan Family’s Italian Chicken & Spinach Pasta Salad

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My good friend Stacey had the girls over the other week to catch up and enjoy dinner together. She whipped us up a light, delicious salad that her mom always makes her. I fell in love with it and asked her if I could share it with you fine folks. This is super quick to make and is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. Salads don’t typically fill me up enough but this one is wholesome and very satisfying!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Heart healthy; low carb, diabetes friendly and anti-inflammatory (if pasta removed or wheat used); low fat

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Chunky Egg Salad

Mel and TammyLeave a comment

This is my favorite egg salad recipe which I found on the Food Network website. It’s very easy and very flavorful. What really makes it pop is the mustard, lemon and dill, just a perfect combination with the creaminess of the, eggs, mayo and yogurt. I adjusted the recipe a bit to make it lighter and cut the sodium in half. Especially when paired with wheat bread or crackers, or veggies, you’ll be satisfied without the guilt!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, low carb (if eaten with veggies), diabetes-friendly (if eaten with veggies)Read More »

Orange BBQ Chicken and Quinoa Fried Rice

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Enjoy the flavors of Chinese takeout orange chicken with American BBQ in this mouth-watering dish! I was inspired by the Neely’s Honey Orange BBQ Chicken for this recipe. The glaze is so good you’ll want to drink it haha. The chicken is most flavorful marinated overnight so remember to plan ahead. I also created a healthy take on fried rice using wholesome quinoa. You will not miss the rice! Grill this up for your family and friends this summer!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, low carbRead More »

Zucchini and Arugula Salad

Mel and TammyLeave a comment

I belong to a private group on Facebook. The purpose of this group is to encourage each other and share ideas about living a healthy life style. We post and converse about many things, but my favorite thing is sharing ideas about food. One of my friends posted this original “Zucchini Carpaccio” recipe. It looked amazing; refreshing and simple with only 5 ingredients. I just happened to have all 5 ingredients on hand for lunch that day so I made it. I loved it so much, I made it for dinner that night and then for breakfast the next day! A big thank you to Gina Homolka from http://www.skinnytaste.com for this recipe. I hope you all can enjoy it too!  Cheers!

 -Tammy

Health tips:   kidney friendly, diabetes friendly, vegetarian

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Zucchini Quinoa Patties w/ Dill Cream

Mel and Tammy2 Comments

These wholesome little patties pack in so much flavor using simple ingredients, and they are carb/gluten free! You can enjoy them as a light snack or lunch, or alongside a lean protein for a healthy meal. The delicious dill cream adds a bright contrast to the savory patties. Hope you love them as much as my hubby and I did!

 -Mel

Health tips: Low fat, low carb, diabetes friendly, heart healthy, anti-inflammatory Read More »

Caprese Panini

Mel and TammyLeave a comment

My hubby has the week off and we’re heading to the beach. I over pack food and drinks. But I’d rather have too much than not enough! My kiddos requested the good ‘ol peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I wanted a different kind of sandwich to enjoy, so I’m making a panini-a caprese panini….tomato, mozzarella, and basil.  If you don’t feel like PB & J, then make this!  Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips:   kid-friendly, vegetarian

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