2012 New Years Resolution

Allrecipes.com has partnered with HealthyWomen.org to start the year with healthy recipes to keep our New Year's resolutions.  As an allrecipes allstar  we were asked to share a healthy change that we are making in 2012.  The change I'm making is I've created a list of healthy foods and I'm trying to add them to what I eat each month.  What I realized, now that January is coming to an end,  it's an effort to add all the right foods to my diet.  In red is all the food I was able to cross of my list.  Next month I'll try to add even more.  One other change I've made is that I've promised myself to exercise at least 30 minutes each day.  That's not hard for me as I'm an early riser and start my days on our treadmill watching the Ellen show (DVR).  It's a great way to start my day as Ellen makes me laugh and dance (that's not easy to do on a treadmill!)  My husband and I also got snowshoes which is a great workout on the weekends.  So far I've exercised everyday of January, only 336 days to go! Here is the list:

                                                                     

The  Healthiest Foods

Vegetables

    Asparagus

    Avocados

    Beets

    Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange & green)

    Broccoli

    Brussels sprouts

    Cabbage

    Carrots

    Cauliflower

    Celery

    Cucumbers

    Garlic

    Green beans

    Green peas

    Kale

    Leeks

    Mushrooms

    Olives

    Onions

    Potatoes

    Romaine lettuce

    Spinach

    Spring Greens

    Squash

    Sweet potatoes

    Tomatoes

    zucchini

Seafood

    Cod

    Halibut

    Shrimp

    Tuna

 Fruits

    Apples

    Apricots (dried)

    Bananas

    Blueberries

    Melon

    Cranberries

    Grapefruit

    Grapes

    Kiwifruit

    Lemon/Limes

    Oranges

    Pears

    Pineapple

    Prunes

    Raisins

    Raspberries

    Strawberries

 Eggs & Low-Fat Dairy

    Cheese
    Eggs

    Milk
    Yogurt

 Beans & Legumes

    Black beans

    Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

    Kidney beans

    Lima beans

    Navy beans

    Pinto beans

 Poultry & Lean Meats

    Beef

    Chicken/Turkey

 Nuts, Seeds & Oils

    Almonds

    Cashews

    Olive oil, extra virgin

    Peanuts

    Sesame seeds

    Sunflower seeds

    Walnuts

 Grains

    Brown rice

    Oats

    Whole wheat

Other

    Water
     Chocolate : )

 Spices:

 turmeric

 cumin

 Cayenne pepper

 Garlic

 Cilantro

 Parsley

 Oregano

 Paprika

 Curry

 Basil

 Vanilla

 Cinnamon

 Nutmeg

Tuna Noodle Casserole

My family loves tuna noodle casserole and this is the recipe they like best.

1 8 oz pkg. wide egg noodles
1 Tablespoon butter
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 - 6.4 oz pkg. of Sta-kist premium chunk light tuna in a no drain pkg. (I like to use Starkist Albacore White Tuna)
3 Tablespoons butter
4 slices white bread, crust removed (I put it in a food processor or just break up bread into pieces)

1. Prepare noodles as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan over medium heat, in butter sauté celery and onion until tender. (use a large enough saucepan to hold the whole casserole)
3. Preheat oven to 350. Into vegetables in saucepan, stir in soup, milk and mayo. Drain noodles; add with tuna to the saucepan and toss to coat. Spoon mixture into deep 2 qt casserole.
4. In saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Tear bread into small pieces and toss with melted butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs over noodle mixture. (can also melt butter in microwave and toss with bread) Bake casserole 30 minutes or until hot.

Hint You can use a 13 oz can of turn drained instead of pkg. tuna and instead of bread crumbs you can use potato chips crumbled on top. You can also add 1 cup shredded cheddar if you have it in the refrigerator. Serves 6

You can now check out my recipe for Caramelized Onion and Peppered Bacon Flatbread on  Pillsbury.com along with the other 99 finalist recipes.  The Flatbread would make a great appetizer for your super bowl party!

Fiesta Chowder

I haven't post a new recipe because I haven't made anything worth posting.  I made a chili that was way too hot, a fish dish that was just bland tasting and homemade pizza that only my husband would love (because he'll eat anything).  So, I'm going to re post this recipe because it's worth posting again.  After all, it's cold here in Wisconsin and you can never have enough soup recipes.  I really love this soup!  All the Mexican flavors I love in a bowl.  The recipe comes from the "Southern Living,  Our Readers Top Rated Recipes" cookbook.  The list of ingredients is long, but it comes together very quickly.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package (1.4 ounce) fajita seasoning mix, divided
3-4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 1/4 ounce) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) Mexican-style diced tomatoes
1 can (4.5 ounce) chopped green chilies
3 cups water  (I used chicken broth for more flavor)
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice (I only use 1/2 cup)
1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced black olives (optional) (I added)
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) condensed nacho cheese soup
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven sauté onion 5 minutes until soft, add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.  Add chicken and cook, stirring often, 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in flour and fajita seasoning and cook 2 minutes.  Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chiles, broth, rice, and black olives.

Bring mixture to a boil; then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove lid, and stir in nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.  Use chicken broth or water if chowder becomes too thick.   Serves 8