Healthy Fish Tacos with Chipotle Sauce

FISH:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound tilapia

CHIPOTLE Sauce:
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 Tablespoons light sour cream
2 teaspoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped

TACOS:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes. Put the yogurt into a strainer lined with a paper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the fish from the marinade and grill on a preheated grill or nonstick grill pan over a medium-high heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine the thickened yogurt, mayonnaise (or sour cream) and chipotle chiles.

4. Heat tortillas on grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

5. Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 Tablespoon of the chipotle cream. Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro; serve with lime wedges.

Chinese Grilled Chicken Salad

Nice, light dinner (or lunch). The simple, tangy dressing gives it the flavor it needs. Be sure to let the salad "marinate" in the dressing for 10 minutes & keep tossing to keep coating it with the dressing.

Ingredients:

1 pound bag shredded cabbage salad (coleslaw mix)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded & thinly sliced
4 medium radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
2 teaspoons reduced- sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
1 pound thin-sliced skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Chinese-style (or Korean) barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Combine cabbage, bell pepper and radishes in a large bowl.

2. Whisk together vinegar, oil, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl. Pour over cabbage mixture; toss to coat, and let stand for 10 minutes, tossing every couple of minutes to re-coat the salad with the dressing.

3. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the chicken breasts lightly with the barbecue sauce. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and brush with any remaining barbecue sauce. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Alternately, you can cook the chicken directly on your outdoor grill (use a saute pan in a pinch). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing. Chop the chicken and toss with the coleslaw mix.

Tips:

*Look in the Asian aisle of your market to find sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and Chinese-style barbecue sauce. This salad derives its distinctive taste from the Chinese-style barbecue sauce, so don't skimp on that! Make sure that the rice vinegar you are using is seasoned rice vinegar.
*If you can't find thin-sliced chicken breasts, place regular chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it thin with a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
*Use a pan with ridges to get the "grilled" look on your chicken, or use your outdoor grill!

Health Nut Blueberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 banana, mashed
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, oat bran, quick-cooking oats, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir in the blueberries and walnuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, filling all the way to the top.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly touched.

Low-Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

Classic Bran Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins or dates

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.
Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

No Bake Bumpy Peanut Butter Nuggets

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup natural peanut butter I buy organic at Sprouts
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
I will also add carob chips, or chocolate chips, chopped nuts or any dried fruit you like, and I pop them in a freezer bag to keep on hand for a snack.
DIRECTIONS
Combine peanut butter, milk powder, and coconut in a large mixing bowl. Stir in oats, ground cinnamon, wheat germ, and apple juice concentrate until thoroughly combined.
Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls. Chill thoroughly before serving; store remaining nuggets in the refrigerator.

Granola Bars

INGREDIENTS
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins, nuts, dried fruit, carob chips (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.