Easy Grilled Marinated Asparagus

Difficulty: SUPER EASY
Servings: 4-6

Nutrition Information
Calories: 60
Carbohydrates: 4g;
Protein 0.6g; Fat 2g; Fiber 1g






About this Dish

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Garlic Expressions salad dressing is an easy and excellent marinade for asparagus. This particular marinade really brings out the sweetness of the asparagus.  Chilled marinated asparagus are also excellent raw or in salads.

Did you know that asparagus offers many health benefits? For example, asparagus is a natural diuretic and detoxifier, and is high in dietary fiber. Asparagus contains a phytochemical glutathione that has anticarcinogenic and antioxidant properties. It is an anti-inflammatory. Aspagagus is rich in vitamin B (folate) which is essential for a healthy heart heart (cardio-vascular system). Some consider asparagus an aphrodisiac, claiming it increases feelings of love and compassion.  Aphrodisiac or not, this great tasting side dish is sure to please even the fussiest eater.

Ingredients

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• 1 pound Fresh Asparagus (thin stalks preferred)
• 1/3 Cup Garlic Expressions Salad Dressing

Directions

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1. Trim away and discard any tough woody stalk from the base of the asparagus stalks.
   
   
   
2. Into a zip top bag, combine the asparagus and Garlic Expressions.  Seal, removing any air.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Turn the bag a couple of times to thoroughly coat the asparagus spears with the dressing.
   
   
4. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
   
   
5. Preheat BBQ grill to high. Grill until spears are crisp tender, turning once; about 4-5 minutes. Do not over cook.

Some Great Anabolic Power Foods for Lent

Treat your palate to something different this Lenten Season. Spice it up with a few of these flavor-packed, longevity-enhancing Powerfoods.  Good for your mind, body, and soul.  And they taste great to boot!




Black Bean Dip with Homemade Tortilla Chips
For a heart-healthy appetizer, pair up this low-calorie Black Bean Dip with some homemade oven-baked tortilla chips. . .For the tortilla chips, simply brush some fresh corn tortillas with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Then use a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas into wedges and bake in a 400 degree F. oven for about 20 minutes until chips are crisp and golden-brown.

Creamy Salmon or Tuna Spread
This flavor-packed sandwich spread makes a great lunch, and also makes a great appetizer as a Pâté when served with crackers. . .A couple of my gym buddies say it's so good they eat it by the spoonful! Get the recipe here: Creamy Salmon Spread. You'll love it.  Plus it's loaded with longevity-enhancing, cancer-preventive ingredients.

Got Shrimp? Two Great Ideas
Flavor-packed Mediterranean Stir-Fried Shrimp over Quinoa Pilaf.  If you haven't yet tried Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), you're missing out.  It is a highly-nutritious carbohydrate that will help you stay lean and maximize your energy levels at the same time. . .Plus it's very tasty, sort of a cross between brown rice, oatmeal and nuts all rolled into one.  It's a complete protein with all the essential amino acids. . .and a very friendly carbohydrate for anyone insulin-resistant.

If you prefer your shrimp over pasta, try this healthy-delight. . .Light and Lively Mediterranean Seafood Pasta.  This recipe is made with Dreamfield's low-carb pasta.  Big on Flavor, low on calories, and easy to prepare, the whole family will love it.

Fresh Fish that Doesn't Taste Fishy
Fresh fish--be it lake trout, white fish, or salmon--will catch a new reputation with your guests when you prepare this recipe.  Plus it's low-fat, high-protein and a powerhouse of cancer-fighting and longevity-enhancing ingredients. Try this Longevity Herb Crusted Lake Trout this Lenten season. This recipe works well with any fresh fish, such as salmon, lake trout, or white fish.

Great Salads--Pair up your Lenten Entrée with one of these Power Salads
Shirley's Black Bean Cardio Salad (with or without the tuna) is a great Tex-Mex favorite that is loaded with fiber and very heart-healthy. You can make this in minutes. This works great as a salsa dip as well.

Or, how about a big bowl full of everything that's good for you? Marinated Mediterranean Longevity Salad is a huge crowd pleaser. A reader Viki writes: "Fantastic recipe--one of my favorites. I've made this for a variety of functions and it has been an absolute hit every time! For those of you on the Weight Watchers Point Plus program, according to my calculations using the Weight Watchers e-tools, 1/2 cup of base = 4 points."

There you have it--Seven Lent-friendly ideas to wake up your taste buds and help you reshape your physique at the same time!

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Creamy Salmon Spread

Difficulty:  EASY
Yield: 9 1/3 cup servings – Keeps in refrigerator for 1 week

Nutrition Information
Calories: 138
Protein 14g; Carbohydrates 1.7g;
Saturated Fat 4g; Monosaturated Fat 3.7g

About This Recipe

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Loaded with protein, nutrients, antioxidants, and flavor, this easy to prepare recipe is great made into a sandwich with lettuce and tomato or served as a paté with rye or multigrain crostini.  However you like it, salmon is rich in calcium, niacin, phosphorous, selenium, and vitamins B6 and B12.

Ingredients

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• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. Light Cream Cheese (Neufchatel), softened
• ¼ C. Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon Prepared Horseradish
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 Small Red Onion (finely diced)
• ½ of a 1 oz. package FRESH dill weed, finely minced
• 1 Lb. Leftover Grilled salmon or one 14-¾ oz. can Pink Salmon—drained, picked through, bones and skin discarded. If using canned salmon, DO NOT RINSE.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve chilled.

This recipe also works well with an equivalent amount of water-packed solid white albacore tuna.

Did you know?

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At 12 grams per half cup, Greek yogurt has double the protein of conventional yogurt.

Horseradish is a rich source of Glucosinolates. A study from the University of Illinois shows that horseradish has substantial quantities of glucosinolates, compounds that have been shown to increase human resistance to cancer. "Glucosinolates increase the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogens and they may actually suppress the growth of existing cancerous tumors," said Mosbah Kushad, U of I associate professor of foodcrop systems. "And our analysis of various horseradish varieties shows they are a rich source of these compounds." Horseradish has approximately 10 times more glucosinolates than Broccoli, the next richest source.

Dill is high in substances known as monoterpenes, also shown to have anti-cancer activity. Monoterpenes activate an enzyme called gluthathione-S-tranferase. When these components come in contact with oxidized molecules which would harm our body they become attached to them and neutralize the damages, working particularly hard against certain carcinogens such as benzopyrenes found in cigarette, incinerator and grill smoke.

Appetizer of Champions--Black Bean Dip

Serving Size:  4 Tbsp
Difficulty:  EASY
Calories 90; Fat 3g. (1g. saturated); Carbohydrates 3g;
Protein 4g; Fiber 2g





About This Recipe

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This recipe calls for canned black beans.  If you read the label, you'll notice that, save for reduced-sodium versions, all canned beans are high in sodium.  Thoroughly rinsing canned beans reduces the sodium content by 45%!  Always thoroughly rinse canned beans, especially if you have issues with hypertension.  You can reduce the sodium further, by starting with reduced sodium black beans, but you'll pay about 50% more per can.  I say just by the cheap ones and rinse the hell out of them.  This recipe is high in fiber, contains good fats, and  weighs in at a whopping 4 grams of protein per serving.  What's more, it tastes great!  Enjoy it with some homemade garlic pita chips.

Ingredients

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• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 Cloves Garlic (finely minced or pressed)
• 1 Medium Onion Diced
• 3.5 tsp. Ground Cumin (watch the freshness--cumin loses its flavor quickly)
• 1.5 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 4-oz Can Chopped Green Chilis (drained)
• 1 small jalapeno pepper finely minced (with seeds for a kick, or seedless for mild)
• 2 15-oz. Cans Black Beans (Drained and THOROUGHLY rinsed)
• 1 Cup Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 4 Oz. Light Cream Cheese
• 1/2 C. Packed Minced Cilantro
• Juice of One Lime
• 2 tsp. Salt and 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper (more or less to taste)

Directions

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1. In a medium-sized wide saucepan or saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic, onion, cumin, and oregano.  Saute until onions and garlic are slightly softened (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the green chilis.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
   
2. In the bowl of food processor fitted with the metal knife blade, process the cream cheese and cottage cheese until smooth. 
   
3. Add remaining ingredients except for the cilantro to the food processor and process until smooth.
   
4. Pulse in the 1/2 cup of packed cilantro just until incorporated.
   
5. Chill overnight to blend flavors.  Garnish with additional chopped cilantro.