Healthy Recipes for Trimming Down Season
Okay, it is now January 2015, a new year and a new you. You create the list of healthy choices for the upcoming year and usually the first thing on the list is weight loss.
According to a recent survey, the average person consumes 7000 calories in food and drink just on Christmas day. That is hard to believe, but true. That is not counting the holiday parties you attended, the boxes of chocolates you simply could not resist or the butter laden cookies you joyfully stuffed into your mouth.
Do you feel guilty of over-eating during the holidays, but don’t really want to live on salads and carrot sticks, removing all comfort foods from your diet during the cold winter season?
You can still dish up the warmth of familiar hearty, flavorful recipes with fewer carbs, fat and calories just by selecting better ingredients and adjusting recipes that you prefer during the colder weather.
I have included two recipes this month that I have prepared for my family to test and they had no idea that they were very healthy options as they were packed with flavorful ingredients.
The first recipe is a roasted carrot and tomato soup packed with beneficial nutrients and antioxidants as well as being low in calories.
Please give them a try. I am sure you will be satisfied with the calorie count as well as the flavor.
Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil
1 large white onion finely chopped
3 pounds fresh ripe plum tomatoes cut in halves
1 pound carrots peeled and chopped into ½ inch slices
3 cloves fresh garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 cups low salt chicken stock (or more depending on desired consistency)
1-cup skim milk
1 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400F
Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with vegetable oil spray. Arrange the tomatoes, carrots, onions and garlic cloves on the prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with the kosher salt and black pepper.
Roast in the oven for 60 minutes turning occasionally until tender and browned. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Pour ½ cup of the chicken stock into the foil lined baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits then add to the bowl with the vegetables.
When cool enough to handle puree half of the roasted vegetables in a large food processor with one cup of chicken stock until smooth. Then add the remaining roasted vegetables and the remaining chicken stock and puree until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan; season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the skim milk and a ¾ cup of the basil. Heat to a simmer over medium high heat.
Garnish with the remaining fresh basil and serve.
