Recipe: Baked Lump Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce

These baked crab cakes are out of this world! You'll think they came from a high end restaurant.Serve these as an appetizer or enjoy as a meal with a salad.
I highly recommend using fresh crab meat rather than canned for best results. Do not skip refrigerating the patties before baking, this really helps them stay together.

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 cake • Calories: 173.6 • Fat: 8.8g • Protein: 13.1 g • Carb: 11.7 g • Fiber: 1.3 g
Crab Cakes

• 9 ounces lump crab meat, picked free of shells
• 1/2 cup (about 13) reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
• 2 finely chopped scallions
• 2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tbsp plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley)
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Zesty Chipotle Lime Sauce

• 1 tbsp roasted  red peppers (jarred)
• 1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice

Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce:
In a small blender (or magic bullet) puree mayonnaise, lime juice, roasted pepper and chipotle pepper.
Crab Cakes:
In a large bowl, combine crushed crackers, eggs, scallions, pepper, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, then fold in crab meat, careful not to over mix so the crab remains in large chunks. Gently shape into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
Chill in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake about 8-10 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.


Drizzle red pepper chipotle lime sauce over crab cakes and serve.

Recipe: Quinoa Stuffed Green Peppers

436 calories, 15 grams fat, 57 grams carbohydrates, 27 grams protein, 16 grams fiber
For a hearty lunch or dinner idea, look no further than these roasted green peppers. Stuffed with quinoa and other healthy ingredients (like edamame, tomatoes, and mushrooms), these tender peppers offer a vegetarian-friendly meal that’s sure to impress guests.
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. frozen edamame, thawed
5 white mushrooms, sliced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 c. fresh spinach
2 organic green bell peppers
1 tbsp. teriyaki stir-fry sauce
1/2 c. uncooked quinoa, rinsed and cooked
1/3 c. water
Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add edamame, mushrooms, and tomato, stirring until cooked, roughly 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Add in the stir-fry sauce and cook until coated. Remove from heat and place in a medium-sized bowl with cooked quinoa. Toss to combine. Set aside to let the filling cool until just warm. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tops off the peppers, and then core and seed them. Stuff each pepper with the filling, packing it down until each pepper is filled to the top. Place the peppers in a baking dish and replace the tops. Add the water to the bottom of the dish. Cover everything with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until peppers are soft and juicy. Remove peppers from baking dish and serve.
Makes 2 servings.

Recipe: Protein Shamrock Shake

180 calories, 5 grams fat, 8 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein
Tempted to order McDonald’s seasonal Shamrock Shake? Try whipping up this guilt-free version at home. This icy beverage blends low-fat cottage cheese with protein powder, and every sip is infused with a hint of cool minty flavor. Plus, you can’t beat the pretty green hue for the perfect St. Paddy’s Day delight!

Ingredients:
1/2c. low-fat cottage cheese (or vanilla yogurt)
1 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder
1/8 tsp. mint extract (or to taste)
2-3 packets stevia or sweetener of choice (or to taste)
5-10 ice cubes (more or less depending on how thick you like it)
4-6 oz. water (alter according to desired thickness)
A few drops of green food coloring, or a handful of spinach to make it green
1-2 tbsp. Sugar-Free Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix (optional)

Directions:
Put all the base ingredients in the blender, and blend away until desired consistency! Swirl in one drop of red food coloring just before serving, and top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane if desired!
Makes 1 serving.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 3/4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened dark-chocolate powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 15 ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (plus more for serving, optional)
• 4 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt (optional)

Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sweet potato; cook 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper; add the meat to pot and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, dark-chocolate powder, oregano and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; stir, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the navy beans and cilantro; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve the chili topped with more cilantro and a dollop of yogurt if desired.