"Healthy Holiday Substitutions"

As the holiday season moves into high gear, no doubt you'll be cooking up many of the family favorites. Unfortunately, along with fun memories these creations often come loaded with diet busting, waist expanding calories, sugar, and fat.

This year, try slimming down those recipes with these helpful options from SparkPeople.com:

* Use canned applesauce or plums in cake and pie recipes as a healthier alternative to butter, margarine, or oil.
* When muffin and quick bread recipes call for fat (such as oil), try reducing it by one-third to one-half. You won't even miss it.
* In ice cream desserts, use ice milk or low-fat frozen yogurt.
* Save the fat by using cocoa powder instead of chocolate. Substitute three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate in baked goods such as cakes or cookies. For chocolate fillings, you may need to add one or two teaspoons of oil in addition to the cocoa.
* Replace heavy cream in puddings, cheesecakes, and cream pies with evaporated skim milk.
* Use nonfat yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Two egg whites can be substituted for each whole egg in many baked recipes.
* Since much of the fat in cake comes from the frosting, try topping cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar.
* Use Splenda brand sweetener in place of all or part of the sugar in baked goodies. It works great in pie fillings and puddings too. Follow the baking tips on the box and visit www.splenda.com for ideas.
* Decrease the amount of nuts used in a recipe by half, substituting it with Grape-Nuts cereal to keep the crunch and texture.
* Reduce the amount of chocolate chips or nuts in a recipe by one-fourth. No one will even notice!
* Use fat-free whipped cream in place of regular whipped cream.
* Substitute skim milk for regular milk.

Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili








Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
* 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (see Tip)
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
* 2 cups Cooked Wheat Berries (recipe follows)
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1 avocado, diced
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in Cooked Wheat Berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Note: Canned chipotle peppers (smoked jalapenos) in adobo sauce add heat and a smoky flavor. Look for the small cans with other Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Source: Eat Well

Crisp Orange-Chicken Spring Rolls





Whether serving as a healthy appetizer at your next holiday get-together
or warming up for a post workout snack, these tasty spring rolls will hit the spot.





Ingredients:
(Makes 12 rolls)

FOR THE SPRING ROLLS
* 1 small fresh red chili pepper, minced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon cooking wine
* 3 tablespoons orange juice
* 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
* 1/2 pound skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and cut into thin strips
* 4 green onions, green part only, cut into short, thin slivers
* 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
* 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
* 12 8-inch round dried rice-paper wrappers
* 1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated and washed

FOR THE SWEET-AND-SOUR CHILI SAUCE
* 1 stalk lemongrass
* 1 fresh red chili, seeded and minced
* 2 teaspoons brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons fish sauce
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Combine chili pepper, garlic, ginger, wine, orange juice, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 15 minutes. Drain excess liquid.
2. In a small pan, heat canola oil and saute chicken until light brown outside and no longer pink inside, about 2 minutes. Combine apple, green onions, bell pepper, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Mix in cooked chicken.
3. Fill a medium bowl with warm water. Dip one of the wrappers in the water for 15 seconds, or until softened. Carefully transfer it to a dry work surface.
4. Arrange 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling in an even horizontal mound just below the center of the wrapper. Roll up the rice paper to form a tight cylinder, folding in the sides about halfway. Assemble the remaining spring rolls the same way.
5. Coat the large baking sheet with cooking oil. Arrange spring rolls in a single layer, leaving a little space between them. Brush rolls with oil. Broil the rolls until lightly browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; check frequently to avoid burning. Use a spatula to turn the rolls over and continue to broil another 8 to 10 minutes. Serve each roll wrapped in lettuce leaf, with Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce (see instructions below).
6. To make the sauce, remove tough outer layers and green parts of lemongrass. Mince tender base stalk. Combine ingredients in bowl. Cover and chill. Keeps up to three days.

Source: Whole Living

wildfire on instagram