Category Archives: Appetizers

Lean Turkey Muffins

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By themselves as a snack or appetizer, or included as part of a lunch or dinner meal, lean turkey muffins are like a turkey meatloaf in muffin form. I make Jamie Eason’s turkey meatballs all the time and wanted to share the recipe with you. Cooking them in a muffin pan is a easy way to prepare lean protein in bulk because muffins are a ready to go part of a healthy meal. The muffin size also helps with portion control!
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Stay Healthy Lean Turkey Muffins

Stay Healthy Lean Turkey Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup dry quick cook oats
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground thyme
  • 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp black ground pepper
  • 2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
  • 1 tsp salt (I leave this out)
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 diced onion
  • 2 diced celery stalks

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare muffin pan with spray oil, or coat with olive oil.
  2. Mix all the ingredients in one large bowl until well combined. Shape the mixture into balls and place each one in the muffin pan. Bake for 40 minutes or cooked through.
  3. Makes 12 muffins
https://stayhealthyfitness.com/lean-turkey-muffins/
Spinach Artichoke Yogurt Dip

Spinach Artichoke Yogurt Dip

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Need a healthy dip alternative for an event? Don’t hesitate to jump into this bowl of healthy goodness.  In this recipe, the saturated fat is reduced and the nutrient value increased. In addition to the health benefits, this is a wonderful tasting dip. Serve warm alongside organic pita chips or pair with chopped vegetables.
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Spinach Artichoke Yogurt Dip

Spinach Artichoke Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6.5 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts (use ½ jar) chopped
  • 1/4 cup shallots (roughly chopped)
  • 4 green onions (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 12 oz spinach leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup Greek nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese (finely crumbled)
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill (chopped) or 1 tbsp dried (ground)
  • black pepper (freshly ground)

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add artichoke hearts, shallots, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour ingredients into a large bowl and add feta cheese, yogurt, and lemon juice. Stir until well combined and thick chunky. Season to taste with fresh ground pepper and serve warm with pita chips or vegetables.
https://stayhealthyfitness.com/spinach-artichoke-yogurt-dip/
 

Sweet Potato Fries

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Sweet potato fries have to be one of my favorite side dishes now.  I was eating at a friend’s home and she served a side of spiced sweet potatoes that were baked to perfection. That experience inspired me to come up with this recipe.

Although the sweet potato and yam titles are generally interchangeable in the United States, they are actually from two different plant families and do differ in their qualities and taste. The yam is a tuber and the sweet potato comes from the morning glory family and is a storage organ.

In this recipe for healthier fries, I offset the sweetness of the potatoes with some pepper and spices.  The fries are baked, so they have far less fat than the typical type fried in oil. So, as a healthy option, these fries may be your favorite side dish for turkey burgers as they are mine. You can even try them as a snack!

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Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized sweet potatoes scrubbed and set aside
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • crushed black pepper
  • I also like to spice it up with cumin, cinnamon, crushed chili peppers

Preparation

  1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Cut the sweet potatoes into nice size wedges of the thickness you prefer in a usual steak fry. Pour a small amount of olive oil into a gallon size storage bag and place wedges in to coat. Place spices of choice into a lunch bag. Put oiled potato wedges into the bag, and shake to coat. Place the sweet potato wedges onto a baking sheet, bake for approximately 40 minutes.
https://stayhealthyfitness.com/sweet-potato-fries/

Baked Chicken Breast Strips

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Looking for a new way to fix chicken? Try these chicken breast strips. They’re baked so you can avoid the fat of frying. And they have a great flavor. The seasoning wakes up your taste buds. Because these chicken strips are full of protein, you can use them as an appetizer or shared snack to help control the total amount of calories you take in.  If eaten as an appetizer, this recipe can serve 4-6.  If served as a snack, you can share it with 1-2 others.
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Stay Healthy Baked Chicken Strips

Stay Healthy Baked Chicken Strips

Ingredients

  • 2 organic boneless/skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 organic eggs
  • ¾ cup almond flour
  • ½ cup flax meal
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ¼ cup fine grate Parmesan cheese (I use powdered in the can)
  • Spices of choice (I go with a no salt herbal blend, crushed black pepper, and organic garlic salt)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have a large baking sheet standing by. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs to create a wash for the chicken. In a medium bowl, place all dry ingredients and fork until combined (I taste to see if I need to add additional spices)
  2. Slice chicken breasts into strips (8-12)
  3. Dip each chicken strip into the egg wash, transfer into dry ingredients and coat, place onto baking sheet. Continue this process until all chicken strips are on the sheet and ready to place in the oven. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes. I serve with a spicy mustard, but feel free to experiment with your favorite healthy dips.
https://stayhealthyfitness.com/baked-chicken-breast-strips/

Oven Roasted Green Bean Fries

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I created oven roasted green bean fries by accident intending only to roast them, but in waiting for the chicken to finish grilling, I thought it would be safe to turn off the oven and leave the beans in the oven to keep them warm.  Well, to my surprise, they kept warm, but also became crunchy like a French fry or wonderfully flavored chip.  I searched the internet to see if the creation already existed … well it does and although I am not the original creator, I am pretty darn excited about making these again.
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Stay Healthy Oven Roasted Green Bean Fries

Stay Healthy Oven Roasted Green Bean Fries

Ingredients

  • Fine fresh green beans (I used ½ of a large bag to cover a large baking pan)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Crushed black pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Feel free to use your favorite spices

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Wash green beans in a colander, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a bowl with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil and coat with hands.
  3. Place green beans on large baking pan, making sure they are evenly spread out, and none are lying on top of each other. Sprinkle seasonings and Parmesan cheese evenly over green beans.
  4. Place green beans in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Turn with a spatula about ½ ways through cook time and keep the beans spread out. Mine came out extra crispy by turning off the oven and leaving them for an additional 15 minutes.
https://stayhealthyfitness.com/oven-roasted-green-bean-fries/