Gather the ingredients –

• Half cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups cracker crumbs
• I ½ tsp of Sweet-N-Low or other sugar substitute that you use
• 1 cup skimmed milk
• ¼ tsp salt

Place all these ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend well till you get the desired consistency. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and then pour the mixture in a greased pan. Bake this for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean your brownies are ready. You can cut them into 2 inch squares while they are still warm. Serve it with sugar-free ice cream for that extra mmm…

per serving: 321 calories, 5 grams fat, 44 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein

4 small ripe bananas
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons dark rum
1 tablespoon good quality brown sugar substitute (such as Splenda), plus more to taste
1 pint fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt
4 strawberries

Slice bananas into even rounds, about 1/2 inch thick. Over medium heat, melt butter in a skillet, add bananas and sugar substitute. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring twice. Standing away from the stove, add rum and cook until the mixture starts bubbling. Take the pan off the heat. Distribute frozen yogurt among bowls (about a 1/2 cup per person). Top with hot glazed bananas, and spoon some of the glaze over the dessert in a cross pattern. Top with a strawberry. Serve and enjoy!

These sweet pancakes are fluffy and delicious and loaded with heart healthy Omega-3. At only 3 grams of fat and 75 calories per pancake, they’re perfect for your healthy lifestyle. Bet you’re thinking “Ya, but what about the butter and the syrup?” You can buy fat-free syrups, you know, and fat-free butter spreads, too. In other words…what’s your excuse for NOT enjoying these?

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories per serving: 75
Fat per serving: 3 g
Carbs per serving: 12 g

INGREDIENTS

6 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 apples
1 cup skim milk
2 tsp double acting baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ cup oat bran
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flax seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients except egg whites and apples. Beat egg whites until stiff. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until barely mixed. Fold in beaten egg whites until no chunks can be seen. Heat a frying pan and spray lightly with cooking spray or olive oil. Scoop out big chunks of batter and spread onto pan. Cook over medium heat. When brown, turn over and brown other side. Serve with syrup, butter or applesauce.

As mentioned in an earlier post, if you don’t own a blender or a food processor, go buy one. As in, right this second. It will make your life (and your diet!) so much easier.

Banana Beauty
makes 2 servings
309 calories per serving, .5g fat
3 large, ripe bananas, sliced
1 cup orange juice
1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup light soymilk
2 reserved banana slices, for garnish

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Puree. Add a little more soymilk, if smoothie is too thick. Garnish with reserved banana slices, and enjoy, or chill until serving.

Green Goodness
serves 2
154 calories per serving, 6g fat
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 small seedless cucumber (referred to as “hothouse” or “English”), peeled and chopped
1/2 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup light soymilk
2 slices reserved kiwi, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree. Garnish with kiwi slices, if desired. If not serving immediately, chill. (Note: if left to chill, remember that the cucumber will release some water. Give it a quick stir before serving, if this is the case.)

Simple Strawberry
serves 2
101 calories per serving, .5g fat
1/2 pint strawberries, trimmed and sliced
1 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup light soymilk
Strawberry halves, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Puree. Garnish with strawberry halves, if desired. Enjoy, or chill until serving time.

4 6oz chicken breasts, cut into 3 strips (skinless, boneless)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1/3 cup Lemon juice
1 tsp Vegetable oil or peanut oil
¼ tsp Red pepper or cayenne pepper

Combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, oil and cayenne pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Add the chicken strips and toss well to coat.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat the broiler and lightly grease the broiler pan. Arrange the chicken strips on the rack about an inch apart.

Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, brushing once with the soy sauce mixture halfway through the cooking.

Turn the chicken and broil 5 minutes longer, again brushing with the soy sauce mixture halfway through.

EASY + SIMPLE AB-QUICKIES

• Drink water instead of soda and fruit juice. Yes, it’s old news, but it’s also smart and easy news. Sugar will add pounds to your tummy. Even just diluting your juice with water will make a difference.

• Perform a legs-up crunch. Lie flat on the floor, and rest your legs on something high enough to allow for a 90 degree bend in your knees (like a chair or the sofa or your bed). Fold your arms across your chest and curl up slowly. Don’t come all the way up – pause holding your back slightly off the floor. Hold that position, lower and repeat.

• Concentrate on sitting and standing up straight. This requires you to pull in your abs, and it strengthens them naturally. It’s also great for your back – if you have frequent lower-back pain, it’s just another reason to improve your abdominals.

Tombo Shochu: barley shochu with hints of plum
o In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine
+ 3 ounces Tombo Shochu
+ 6 raspberries
+ 2 teaspoons simple syrup
+ Juice from ½ lemon
o Shake and strain and then ENJOY!
o There is only 100 calories so drink up and make another round!

Haamonii Smooth: American-made wheat-and-barley shochu with a silky texture and light, sweet flavor
o Mix:
+ 1 shot Haamoni Smooth Shochu
+ 3 shots oolong tea
o Serve on the rocks
o 28 calorie drink! What’s better than that?!

Now that you have the inside scoop on the latest low cal liquor, go out and grab yourself some shochu! You can enjoy it straight, on the rocks with a squeeze of lemon or lime, mixed with tea, or any other combo you can come up with. Let us know what you think and send in some of your delicious shochu recipes- we’d love to try them!

Chicken Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit
Mix grilled chicken strips (boneless and skinless, of course) with some low-fat mayo and a bit of Dijon mustard. Serve on a bed of baby spinach tossed with with avocado slices and grapefruit segments.

Grapefruit Caprese
Top grapefruit rounds with part-skim mozzarella slices. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and ground black pepper, and serve. *Very good as a brunch side or first course.

Grapefruit Bellini
Add 1 part grapefruit juice to 2 parts Prosecco, champagne, or other sparkling wine. Add 1 grapefruit segment to each glass, and serve. *You can make a non-alcoholic version by substituting a fruit-flavored seltzer, such as lemon or raspberry, for the wine.

Grapefruit-Coconut Parfait
In a blender or food processor, combine part-skim ricotta cheese and unsweetened flaked coconut, and if you like, a pinch of a good quality sugar substitute (such as Splenda). Cut grapefruit into segments and roughly chop. Cut 1 slice angel food cake into cubes. In a tall glass, layer a bit of cake, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, and some chopped grapefruit. Repeat (you should have 2 layers of each ingredient.) Dust with a little cocoa powder, and serve.

Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add spices and stir for a few minutes. Mix in ginger, add the chicken and the coconut milk.
Add just enough water to barely cover the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Before serving, give it a generous sprinkling of black pepper and a squeeze of lime.

Serve with basmati or brown rice.

One of the secrets of living a longer and healthier life is the olive oil that is an integral part of most Mediterranean dishes. You might think that this oil high in fat, and you’re definitely right. The catch is that olive oil, and the other fatty foods that typify the region, are monounsaturated fats. Unlike the saturated fats that included in the artery-clogging junk foods that Americans love to chow down on, monounsaturated fats are actually healthy for your heart and may play an important role in preventing certain types of cancer.

Here’s the skinny: it’s not just olive oil that helps you slim. There is no one “magical food” that will ward off the pounds, it’s the entire Mediterranean approach to eating that helps keep them svelte and fit. Their diet is typically heavy on the fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and fish. Compared to the average American meal that is often laden with meats and cheeses that are high in fat and cholesterol, it’s no wonder that they’re healthier.

For example, the average person in Greece eats twice as many vegetables as the average American. So, the best bet for a healthier meal is to go Greek— stock up on the veggies and treat yourself to a glass of red wine with dinner, which is loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. What else can you do? Here are some other suggestions.

•Fish is also a great alternative to fatty meats, which is similarly high in protein, but low in unhealthy fats.
•Use olive oil instead of other salad dressings that are high in calories. Throw in some bits of feta cheese to a bag of mixed greens and you’ve got a healthy Greek salad.
•Have a sugar craving? For a sweet and nutritious dessert, try some baked apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
•When buying bread products, steer clear of the processed white flours and look for the whole grains. Those darker breads contain more nutrients and give your body lots more energy than their whole-wheat counterparts.
•If you need a quick pick-me-up, have a handful of almonds with some dried fruit.

Of course, you can get too much of a good thing. Even though nuts and olive oil contain healthy fats, they are both high in calories. The key to any successful weight-loss plan is portion control, portion control, and portion control. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your food! Mediterranean eating is delicious and pleasurable, as well as being amazingly healthy! So eat up!