Mission: Thai and Creamy

As any Thai food fan already knows, a delicious, creamy peanut dressing is an essential component to the taste of Thai. As any nutrition nut knows, these sauces tend to be ridiculously high in calories and fat. That's why I am on a mission; a mission to create a low fat, low calorie version of this rich Thai sauce. So far, I've created a Creamy Thai Cilantro-Ginger salad dressing, pictured below with a simple Cabbage Crunch salad.



Ingredients

For the salad:
-1 cup carrot, shredded
-5 cups napa cabbage, shredded
-1 medium papaya, shredded
-1/4 cup peanuts
-1.5 cups soybeans or plain edamame, or 1 package of Trader Joe's "Chickenless" (baked)

For the dressing:
-1 cup Fage 0% Greek nonfat yogurt, or plain nonfat yogurt
-Juice of 1 lime
-1 shallot, peeled and minced
-2 inches of ginger, peeled and minced
-1 tbs garlic powder, or 3 cloves minced
-1 cup cilantro, minced

Preparation
1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender (for thirty seconds or less, to preserve texture) or pulse to combine in a food processor. Toss with the salad ingredients and enjoy!

Sweet Justice: Cranberry Waldorf Salad with Pumpkin Spice Granola

As the weather turns cold and bitter outside, our instincts tell us to hibernate. Who can blame us? It's cold, it's probably wet and gloomy outside, and money is tight. Maybe you can't afford as much new winter running gear as you want (or need). Don't despair; there are plenty of ways to keep healthy in harsh times. Besides finding great indoor workouts, there are plenty of healthy ways to get holiday flavors without all the fat and sugar.

Lately, I've been craving cranberry and pumpkin flavors. Today I've created a Cranberry Waldorf Salad with Pumpkin Spice Granola. Sweet? Absolutely. The justice? Eating an entire cup will only set you back 200 calories and deliver a healthy dose of fiber for a full tummy. Bring this to lunch as a substitute for that old and tired prepackaged fruit salad from Starbucks or serve it with your Christmas spread...kids won't even notice it's "healthy" because it tastes so decadent.



Ingredients:
-2 large Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
-1/4 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened, if you can find them)
-1/4 cup walnuts or almonds
-1/2 cup halved green grapes
-2/3 cup Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Granola (or your own granola)
-1/2 cup Splenda or other natural (sugarless) sweetener
-1 cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt (Fage brand is fantastic)

Prep:
Mix well in a large bowl and store in the fridge. Make serving size easier by storing in 1-cup plastic containers.

CLICK HERE FOR NUTRITION INFO

This Week's Recipe: Chicken(less) Salad Superfood

When my grandmother gave me a cookbook brimming with beef and poultry recipes for Christmas, I awkwardly thanked her gesture, set the book on my shelf and didn't touch it for six months. Didn't someone tell Grandma I've been a vegetarian for two years?!? So it goes in the Morgan family, a clan spread far and wide, disjointed by distance. Oh well, Grandma means well. So there it sat, my charmingly useless gift that I felt far too guilty to ever throw away.

One day, out of a growing anger over household clutter, I began to sort my bookshelf. When I found Grandma's cookbook, I said to myself, "there HAS to be at least one thing in here that's vegetarian". Well...there wasn't. This would require some innovation if I was to justify keeping this book around.
So I got creative. I began playing with "vegifying" easy lunch recipes and stews. Lo and behold! Some of my healthiest, most fabulous favorites evolved from this humble gift. So now I bring to you a household staple, packed with complete protein and virtually fat-free. This vegetarian version can just as easily be made with actual chicken, if you prefer. I recommend making this in the evening and chilling overnight in pre-portioned Tupperware; in the morning just throw it in your lunchbox with some bread and you're all set.

Ingredients:
-170g Greek Nonfat Yogurt, plain (I use the Fage brand from Trader Joe's)
-1 package of Trader Joe's "Chickenless" (or 228g of lean poultry)
-2 stalks of celery, chopped
-1/2 cup green grapes, cut in half
-1 large carrot, shredded
-1 tbs garlic powder
-1 tbs sweet paprika
-1 tsp black pepper
-1 shallot, minced
-your favorite sandwich bread
-a leaf of butter leaf or romaine lettuce, if you like

1. After preparing all the ingredients, mix them together well. Keep in the fridge overnight or use right away.

Prep Time: Less than twenty minutes, ten if you use a food processor.
Goes well with: diced fruit, yogurt and a small sprinkle of candied pecans.
*Makes about 4 sandwiches

Nutritional Profile:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/recipe/766307/2