Hungry Girl

Lisa Lillien is my hero! For those of you who don't know who Lisa is, she is the creator and author of the Hungry Girl cook books. I am the proud owner of several of her books and I highly recommend them! She takes the foods we crave and remakes them into healthier, diet-friendly versions. I love going out and often crave restaurant foods that most likely all contain a days worth of calories each. Now, thanks to Lisa, I can enjoy the foods I love without the guilt. In addition to the cookbooks, Lisa also has a Saturday morning cooking show on the Cooking Channel. You can also get tons of free recipes on her website at www.hungrygirl.com. Below are some of her recipes I have tried and love! 

OOEY-GOOEY CHILI CHEESE NACHOS

1 (7oz) bag bake tortilla chips
1 cup low-fat turkey or veggie chili (I used Hormel 98% fat free turkey chili)
3/4 cup of salsa
1/2 cup light soy milk
3oz fat-free block cheddar cheese (like Velveeta)
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese
2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
2 tbsp fat-free sour cream

Place all three cheeses in a saucepan with soy milk. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Continue until all cheese have melted and your cheese sauce is thoroughly mixed and hot. Prepare chili according to package directions. Microwave chips in a bowl until warm and then spread them out on a platter. Pour your cheese sauce over the chips. Top with chili. Spoon salsa and sour cream on the top. 

Makes 6 servings. 

160 calories, 3.5g fat, 671mg sodium, 36g carbs, 4g fiber, 3g sugars, 13g protein

*** I added shredded red leaf lettuce to the top of my nachos and they were delicious! You could also add diced tomato and onion to make your nachos even more tasty without adding extra calories. 

KICKIN' CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

3 cups fat-free chicken broth 
4oz cooked lean skinless, boneless chicken breast, shredded
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno peppers
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fajita seasoning mix
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
6 baked tortilla chips
 Optional toppings: cilantro, fat-free sour cream, fat-free shredded cheese

In a medium pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, cook onions, garlic, seasoning, and spices over medium-high heat until onions are tender, 3-5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add corn and diced tomatoes, and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken, jalapenos, and lime juice. Stir 2-3 minutes to thoroughly blend flavors. Once ready to serve , top each serving with chips and any other optional toppings. 

Makes 4 servings

101 calories, 1g fat, 650mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 4g sugar, 11g protein
(nutrition facts do not include optional toppings)

*** I tripled with recipe and made it for a crowd. Everyone raved about it, especially when they found out it only had 101 calories per serving. I topped mine with 1 tbsp of fat-free sour cream and 1 tbsp of fat-free shredded cheddar and it was amazing! I love spicy food so I also added a little juice from the jalapeno jar into mine. Yum! The left overs also freeze really well and make great meals to take to work or pull out for a quick week night dinner. Now when I make this recipe I always triple it and freeze single portions. 

BOOK REVIEWS:


* Hungry Girl Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
Contains recipes like breakfast pizza, lord or the onion rings, cookie-rific ice cream freeze, ooey gooey chili cheese nachos, I can't believe its not sweet potato pie, and more. 
* Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious, Guilt-Free Recipes on the planet 
Amazing recipes including queen of the castle sliders, turkey and veggie meat loaf minis, caramel swirl cream puffs, and so much more. 
* Hungry Girl 200 under 200: 200 Recipes under 200 calories
 This one has recipes such as Swirls Gone Wild cheesecake brownies, sassy southwestern egg rolls, cheeseburger quesadilla, chunky apple cinnamon muffins, H-O-T hot boneless buffalo wings, holy moly guacamole. 

All three of these books are amazing! Each contain several pages of full-color images, and tons of amazing food swaps that allow you to enjoy the foods you crave. Each is cleverly worded and is full of weight loss tips. I highly recommend adding these cookbooks to your collection.