More About SP_STEPF |
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Recipes I've Shared:
| Stepf's Quinoa-Black Bean Casserole This recipe came about because I had just made vegetable enchiladas and had leftovers, plus quinoa from earlier in the week. Thankfully, this experiment yielded a hearty, delicious meal. I cooked up a batch of dried beans that I seasoned with onions, garlic, chiles and spices. If you use canned beans, you might need more spices. Try adding Chef Meg's Taco Seasoning. Serve this with steamed broccoli or wilted spinach and a dollop of light sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. |
  Very Good (3 ratings) |
| Stepf's Vegetable Enchiladas Sweet potatoes and black beans are a match made in heaven. Add salsa and sour cream, plus some cheese, and I am one happy woman. This dish came about because I wanted to make better-for-us enchiladas. My boyfriend loves this recipe! This dish is high in fiber and full of protein, and it contains two servings of vegetables per serving. I shred the sweet potato using my food processor. You could use a box grater. You could also cut it into a small dice and cook it with the onion and garlic until almost tender. |
(no ratings) |
| Stepf's Maple-Almond Butter Granola Granola is incredibly affordable when you make it yourself. This recipe combines some of my favorite ingredients: maple syrup, almond butter and seeds! |
Incredible! (1 rating) |
| My Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie This is a healthy green smoothie that tastes just like pumpkin pie. Trust me--this is delicious! |
Very Good (1 rating) |
| Stepfanie's Easy Poached Eggs and Pasta I can't get enough of this easy recipe; I've been making it for dinner a couple of nights a week. It's ready in 15 minutes! The still-runny egg yolk adds a creaminess to the sauce and perfectly mixes with the spinach. If you want to spruce up the jarred sauce, add a 1/2 t oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I sometimes swap broccoli (fresh or frozen) or sliced zucchini for the spinach. If I have it on hand, I add a dollop (1/2 ounce) of goat cheese or a sprinkle of Parmesan (calories not included). |
Very Good (57 ratings) |
| Broccoli Everyone Will Love Broccoli is my favorite vegetable, but not everyone agrees with me. To convert people, I like to serve this simple recipe. Garlic sauteed in olive oil offers a sweet richness, and the lemon juice offers a nice tang. If you are using fresh broccoli, peel the stalks and dice them before adding to the cooking water. |
Very Good (7 ratings) |
| Zucchini Pancakes This recipe originally came from a vegetarian cookbook, but I've changed the herbs and played with the ingredients a bit. TIPS: Instead of zucchini, you can use yellow squash. You can also add a shredded carrot to the recipe (no need to salt and drain the carrots). Swap shredded sweet potatoes for the zucchini and cumin (1 T) and cilantro (1/4 c) for the thyme and basil. If you want a stronger tomato flavor, chop a few more sun-dried tomatoes and puree them with the yogurt before topping the pancakes. |
(no ratings) |
| Kimchi NOTE: The high salt content is due to the pickling process. Most of the salt is rinsed off! Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made from a variety of vegetables, which are salted and then mixed with hot pepper flakes, onion, garlic and spices. |
Incredible! (4 ratings) |
| Soft-Serve Banana "Ice Cream" Frozen bananas rival soft serve when given a whirl in the food processor. Trust me, it's AMAZING: no fat, no cholesterol, no added sugar, just creamy and sweet bananas! My brother and boyfriend loved this treat! I found this recipe on a raw foods website and modified it slightly. I topped mine with a tablespoon of pure maple syrup mixed with 2 t dark cocoa powder. |
Very Good (113 ratings) |
| Fred's Pineapple Salsa This is my boyfriend's favorite salsa. It was a hit at our recent party! |
(no ratings) |
| Cheddar-Stuffed Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers These burgers are rich and meaty, the kind of burger that vegetarians have been craving. Even meat eaters will appreciate these tasty and fiber-rich burgers. |
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| Vegan Macaroons These cookies are addictive and delicious! You'll never guess they're vegan, too. |
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| Stepf's Raw Granola Bars This raw granola is great for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It's full of heart-healthy fats! |
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| Stepf's Mexican Pizza This Mexican pizza is a tasty alternative to traditional pizza. Add grilled chicken or cooked shrimp to change this up! |
Very Good (44 ratings) |
| Engine 2 Diet: Picadillo Pick Ax Burrito Picadillo is a traditional beef taco filling that makes a terrific complement to potatoes, beans, and/or rice. Think of it as a cute little burrito. We've simplified the recipe to create a healthy E2 version. From THE ENGINE 2 DIET by Rip Esselstyn. Copyright (c) 2009 by Rip Esselstyn. Used by permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. |
 Good (17 ratings) |
| My Green Monster Smoothie I got the idea for this smoothie from OhSheGlows.com and EatLiveRun.com! Use kale instead of spinach if you're feeling extra brave! (You can't taste the greens at all, I promise!) Add frozen berries or other frozen fruit for a twist. I am lactose intolerant and allergic to peanuts, but you can use regular milk and peanut butter, too! Add 1/4 c oat bran for more "staying power." These keep me fueled through lunchtime! |
(no ratings) |
| Maple Glazed Salmon Serve this with Vegetable Pancakes (http://recipes.sparkpeo ple.com/recipe-detail.asp? recipe=398435) for a grown-up breakfast for dinner. It's a decadent dish that's worth splurging on! |
Very Good (10 ratings) |
| Salmon Curry over Zucchini and Sweet Potatoes You know how much I love veggie-centric recipes. This one has four servings in ONE dish! Yum! |
(no ratings) |
| Southwestern Chicken Soup I made this soup after trying a similar one at a restaurant. Theirs had fewer tomatoes, no beans and white rice. I wanted to add more nutrition, so I added spinach, a green pepper and more tomatoes, and I use white meat chicken instead of dark. Beans and brown rice add fiber. This new soup is a good compromise of taste and time |
Very Good (52 ratings) |
| broccoli lemon pasta with honey-thyme sauce and blue cheese This pasta was an experiment that thankfully went right. Swap blue cheese for goat cheese or feta. |
Very Good (2 ratings) |
| Stepf's Homemade Energy Bars--Pecan Pie Flavor These bars are tasty and easy to make. They are "raw" energy bars, similar to a Lara Bar. With a taste that is reminiscent of pecan pie, these are a perfect snack before or after a workout. Let kids help roll the bars. |
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| Stepf's Cornmeal Crust for Mexican Pizza Use this whole-wheat and cornmeal crust to make my delicious Mexican pizza. |
Very Good (5 ratings) |
| Black Bean "Hummus" This dip doesn't have many of the same ingredients as hummus, but it is about the same consistency. I spread this on bread or tortillas with vegetables for a quick sandwich, I dip carrots and celery into it, and I eat it with tortilla chips for a snack. |
Very Good (123 ratings) |
| Korean Soft Tofu Stew |
Very Good (3 ratings) |
| Stuffed Peppers with Lentils and Quinoa Think of this as vegetarian goulash, deconstructed! I make this to remind my boyfriend of his recent trip to Prague! |
(no ratings) |
| Best Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie! Blueberries add fiber and antioxidants, while the cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa powder) adds a rich, decadent flavor! |
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| Engine 2 Diet: Dark Chocolate Brownies These brownies are the creation of Engine 2 participant and baker extraordinaire Lydia Heckendorf. Lydia started cooking two years ago and is a natural at knowing how to make food so terrific tasting no one knows it’s healthy as well. Makes about 20 brownies From THE ENGINE 2 DIET by Rip Esselstyn. Copyright (c) 2009 by Rip Esselstyn. Used by permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. |
Incredible! (1 rating) |
| Engine 2 Diet: Healthy Homemade Hummus This is the most basic of the spreads. You can find a variation of this recipe in almost any grocery store, but 95 percent of them are made with either olive oil or tahini (sesame paste), which pushes up the fat content. Your best bet is to take three minutes and make a batch on Sunday that will last you for the week. From THE ENGINE 2 DIET by Rip Esselstyn. Copyright (c) 2009 by Rip Esselstyn. Used by permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. |
Very Good (7 ratings) |
| Engine 2 Diet: E2 Almighty Healthy Wrap Our very own Station 2 won the 2003 Austin Fire Department’s Healthy Wagon Contest with this very healthful and tasty lunch/dinner wrap. The judges included three experts—the Fire Department’s in-house health specialist, a local representative from the American Heart Association, and a member of the Mayor’s Council for Physical Fitness. The department also sponsored an awards presentation at which we received a little red wagon, a healthy low-fat cookbook, a salad spinner, and fifty dollars to use for a future healthy wagon. This wrap also makes an excellent dinner. From THE ENGINE 2 DIET by Rip Esselstyn. Copyright (c) 2009 by Rip Esselstyn. Used by permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved. |
Very Good (2 ratings) |
| Salsa Chicken This is the easiest recipe I know, and it's quite tasty, too. Grill or saute chicken, cook rice and top with salsa! |
Very Good (9 ratings) |
| World's Best Spinach and Artichoke Dip This is seriously the world's best spinach and artichoke dip! It's creamy and fairly low fat. I use low fat cream cheese, but you could use fat free. This slimmed down version of your favorite dip is easy to make--and it's light enough for you to load up on it! This can also become a decadent pasta sauce. (As a sauce, it makes 10 servings. You might need to thin it a bit with cooking water from the pasta.) |
Very Good (118 ratings) |
| Oven-Baked Wild Rice Pancake with Berries This was originally a savory recipe that was cooked like traditional pancakes. However, I had leftover rice and a freezer full of berries from summer. I wanted to combine the rice pancakes with a blueberry buckle recipe my grandmother passe long to me. This was a huge success! |
(no ratings) |
| Perfectly Healthy Pasta This healthy, high-fiber pasta dish has 2 1/2 servings of vegetables in each portion. Omit the cheese to save 30 calories and 2 g fat per serving. |
Very Good (46 ratings) |
| Smoked Salmon Mousse This creamy, decadent spread helps a little smoked salmon go a long way. |
Very Good (6 ratings) |
| Creamy Broccoli-Artichoke Soup Delicious and creamy, this soup is perfect on a cold night. |
(no ratings) |
| Stepfanie's Oatmeal Mix Who needs fancy oatmeal from the store? Mix up your own delicious oatmeal and you'll have a gourmet breakfast each morning. |
Very Good (2 ratings) |
| Chocolate covered pretzels Large hard pretzels are drizzled in chocolate for a decadent treat! |
Very Good (25 ratings) |
| Savory Vegetarian Gravy Vegetarians deserve silky, rich gravy on Thanksgiving, too. Try serving this decadent version! |
Incredible! (2 ratings) |
| Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Pumpkin is a common pasta filling in Italy. Here, we've made a sauce from the fall favorite. |
O.K. (1 rating) |
| Savory Stuffed Pumpkins In my house, pumpkins are for eating--not carving! Stuff small pumpkins for an interesting presentation. |
Very Good (8 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Simple Seafood and Spinach This seafood dish is easy to make and delicious to eat! |
(no ratings) |
| Pistachio-Crusted Salmon by SP_Stepf I first had pistachio-crusted salmon on a first date in Paris. While the meal was delicious, I barely ate a bite because we were talking so much. Now I make this for special occasions and remember that very special time in my life. |
Very Good (5 ratings) |
| Gramma Willie's Light(er) Alfredo Sauce My Gramma Willie taught me how to make this sauce years ago. It's the only way I make Alfredo now (though I use unsweetened soy milk instead of skim milk). Serve with grilled chicken, broccoli and pasta. |
Good (7 ratings) |
| Personal Blueberry-Peach Cobblers by SP_Stepf Replace the traditional biscuit topping with whole wheat fillo dough for a quick and light dessert. |
Very Good (18 ratings) |
| Light Creamy Pesto by SP_Stepf My light creamy pesto mixes the best of two favorite (high-calorie) Italian sauces--Alfredo and pesto Genovese. Traditional pesto has 150 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving. This version has 89 calories and 7.7 grams of fat. |
(no ratings) |
| Pint-Sized Apple Pies I'm a sucker for a good slice of pie. The trouble with baking pies is that then there is an entire pie lurking on the counter or in the fridge. And when there's a whole pie to tempt you, portion control is difficult. My pint-sized apple pies, adapted from a recipe from my mom, solves that problem: They're instantly portion controlled. Plus, little ones can easily help. |
(no ratings) |
| Garden Fresh Lasagna by SP_Stepf I love rich, cheesy lasagna, but in the summer when vegetables are at their peak, cheese overwhelms the dish. Adding plenty of fresh vegetables (easily and perfectly sliced using OXO V-Blade Mandoline) to your regular lasagna for a healthy, light summer supper. Omit any vegetables you don't like, and swap for what you've got in your fridge. (Add spinach or any other green, more fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, chopped and steamed broccoli or asparagus... the possibilities are endless.) |
Very Good (16 ratings) |
| Broiled kimchi Kimchi's sour flavor goes away when it's broiled or barbecued. Serve this alongside bulgogi or other Korean barbecued meats. The kimchi gets really sweet and smoky. I can eat the entire pan by myself! |
Very Good (3 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Creamy Zucchini Salad Try this light zucchini salad atop a bed of baby spinach, with whole-wheat pasta, or with a sprinkling of fresh diced tomatoes. |
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| Pesto chickpeas |
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| SP_Stepf's Romesco Dip Red peppers add antioxidants and spice to this dip, which is full of heart-healthy fats (from almonds and olive oil). |
(no ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Lighter Panzanella (Tomato and Bread Salad) Panzanella is an Italian salad made from stale bread and vegetables. My version has fresh zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and onions, plus tons of basil and parsley for flavor. |
(no ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's No Meat and Potatoes Dinner No meat? No problem. Breaded tofu is sauteed until crispy in olive oil, then served with twice-baked potatoes and mushroom gravy! (Note: This recipe is for the entire meal!!) |
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| SP_Stepf's Indian-Spiced Turkey Loaf Diversify and slim down your standard meatloaf. Serve this with brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli. |
(no ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Avocado-yogurt dressing Top your burrito with this instead of sour cream and guacamole. |
Very Good (3 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas) Filled with sweet and savory rice, these grape leaves are addictive and fairly east to make. |
Very Good (4 ratings) |
| Stepf's carrot cake This carrot cake is high in fiber and low in fat. The eggs are replaced by flax seeds, which are high in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. |
Good (1 rating) |
| Dark chocolate walnut shortbread Rich and buttery, these vegan cookies are decadent and just begging to be dunked. |
(no ratings) |
| Curried couscous A light spring dinner that offers spice but no heat. |
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| Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Butternut squash helps slim down this macaroni and cheese. You can't taste it, and it boosts the nutritional value of the dish! |
Very Good (28 ratings) |
| California Roll in a Bowl Ever get stuck in a dinner rut? I sure do! Recently, while digging around in the 100-page homemade recipe file I keep on my computer, (I like to cook. Can you tell?) I found a salad I created about four years ago. Delicious and easy, it combines all of my favorite sushi ingredients in one bowl! And, because it's based on a California roll, it uses fully cooked seafood. This is a great way to introduce friends and family to the taste of sushi. Add slivered sushi ginger, bits of nori (seaweed), and sesame seeds to make it even more authentic. |
Very Good (59 ratings) |
| Vegetable Pancakes I make these with Swiss Chard (my go-to green), but you can substitute spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, or any other green leafy vegetable you like. |
Good (3 ratings) |
| Crispy Green Beans with Pesto The trick to learning to like vegetables you hate is to disguise their appearance and flavor. Think about what it is you dislike about that particular vegetable. I asked Fred why he's anti-green beans. It turns out that he remembers the long, mushy canned beans from childhood. Step 1: Chop the beans into 1-inch pieces. Step 2: Change texture. Sauté them in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper on high heat until they're crispy on the outside and still slightly firm. Step 3: Change the flavor: Add pesto (with homemade lemony basil from the co-op) and an extra bit of parmesan cheese! Results: "Is this pasta?" Fred asks as I hand him a plate of beans. |
Very Good (3 ratings) |
| Veggie-licious Guacamole My favorite Mexican restaurant serves a guacamole that's heavy on vegetables--and flavor. To slim it down even more, serve with carrots, celery and cucumber slices. |
Very Good (26 ratings) |
| Kimchi Fried Rice Make this versatile dish with leftover rice and any vegetable in your crisper. (Brown is better, but I've used white rice from last night's takeout.) |
Very Good (9 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Summer Kitchen Sink Pasta Maybe I should have called this my "Summer Farmers Market Pasta." It's full of the vegetables I brought home from the farmers market on Saturday. Like many of my recipes, it can be altered based on what you've got on hand. I almost threw in some Swiss chard (my green of choice these days) and some brilliant yellow crookneck squash, but I decided to save those for another day and another dish. |
Very Good (25 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Baked Veggie Burritos Black beans, sweet potatoes and greens are spiced up and baked in egg roll wrappers to create burritos that are heavy on taste and light on calories. (Feel free to change this recipe with what you've got in the fridge. No sweet potatoes? Try zucchini or butternut squash. Swap kale for spinach, Swiss chard or your favorite green! Instead of black beans, try kidney, pinto or garbanzo beans.) |
Very Good (27 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dressing Spruce up any salad with this creamy dressing! It's spicy but not at all hot! Drizzle over salads, grilled chicken or fish. Use in place of sour cream on tacos or use as base for a pasta salad. |
Very Good (2 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Molasses Granola As far as sweeteners go, molasses is a pretty healthy one. This granola offers a good amount of calcium, fiber and flavor! |
O.K. (8 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Low-Fat (Vegan) Ranch Dressing I love ranch dressing, but it's so heavy! Here's a lighter version that also happens to be vegan. You can substitute regular low-fat mayonnaise and skim milk for the soy milk and vegan mayo. |
(no ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Skinny Cheese Fondue This is a slimmed down version of one of my favorite party foods--cheese fondue. Mashed cannellini beans slim down the recipe but keep a thick and luscious texture! |
Very Good (18 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Chickpeas and Shells This delicious hearty pasta is a favorite in our house. High in fiber and in protein! |
Good (11 ratings) |
| SP_Stepf's Technicolor Pasta This pasta packs a nutritional punch, and the brightly colored vegetables are quite a sight! |
Good (35 ratings) |
Cookbooks I've Shared:
| Stepf's Favorite Recipes |
| SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest Finalists We asked members to make over their favorite restaurant meal, cutting fat and calories while keeping the flavor. Here are the 10 semifinalists. The winners were: Southwestern Eggrolls (casual dining category) and Boneless Sweet BBQ Wings (fast food category). |
