Reinvigorate your diet to achieve your goals

    It’s February, a time when many people who made New Year’s resolutions dealing with weight loss and fitness have begun to waiver.
    So it’s time to shake things up, try new recipes to reinvigorate your routine. Add some citrus to brighten the flavors or a new spice blend to give new life to your entrees.
    No matter what you do, don’t forget the basics. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, think about what you can eat.
    Use lower-calorie ingredients to cut calories. If your macaroni and cheese recipe uses whole milk, butter, and full-fat cheese, try making it with non-fat milk, less butter, light cream cheese and adding fresh spinach and tomatoes. Just remember to not increase your portion size.
     Try to avoid fad diets since many are unbalanced and focus on low-calorie intake that can lead you to feeling hungry all the time — and eventually binging.
    If you feel you need a guide, many experts recommend the Mediterranean diet, which consists of high consumption of legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits and vegetables. It also recommends moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate consumption of dairy products and low consumption of meat and meat products.
    Allow yourself the occasional treat and remember the key is moderation and balance.
    Be sure to add an exercise component to your routine but again, remember not to eat more just because you’re working out.
    And don’t forget that you may have hit a plateau. It will take time to get to your goal.
    Following are some diet-friendly recipes from allrecipes.com.

allrecipes.com

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

1 pound ground chicken, preferably white meat
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 grinds cracked black pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, diced, optional
3 cloves garlic, pressed
5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

    Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
    Combine ground chicken and pineapple in a large bowl.Season with salt and black pepper. Add jalapeno pepper, pressed garlic, and 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce  and continue mixing with your hands until evenly combined.
    Cook burgers on a medium-high grill  for seven to 10 minutes per side, basting with remaining teriyaki sauce, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees.

Pasta Strega Nonna

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound cooked and peeled shrimp
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Hot sauce
Salt
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Saute shrimp, asparagus and garlic until asparagus is bright green and slightly tender. Stir in hot sauce and salt. Dust with Romano cheese before serving.

Florentine Tomato Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

    In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bell pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, water, basil, bouillon and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in spinach and cook five to seven minutes more.

Tequila-Lime Pork Tenderloin

1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins

    Whisk together lime juice, tequila, orange juice, cilantro, chiles, chili powder, garlic, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour mixture into a gallon-sized resealable bag and add the pork tenderloins. Seal and store in refrigerator overnight.
    Remove pork from marinade. Cook on lightly greased grate of a grill heated to high for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 16-ounce package linguini pasta
1 pound cooked and peeled shrimp
8 cloves crushed garlic
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with garlic
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 fluid ounces red wine, optional

    Peel and cook shrimp, if necessary, and place in a bowl of cold water.
    Place tomatoes, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes and wine in a 3-quart sauce pan. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Cook linguini according to package directions. When pasta is almost done, drain shrimp and place in the bottom of a large colander. Drain pasta over the shrimp.
    Transfer pasta with shrimp to a large serving bowl and toss with some sauce. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Kevin’s Teriyaki Chicken

1-1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

    In a large bowl, mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder and white pepper to create marinade. Reserve a small amount for dipping sauce.
    Place chicken in marinade and add enough water to cover. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
    Brush grill grate lightly with oil. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Chile Pork

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
2 pounds pork tenderloin, cubed
1 dash ground black pepper

    Mix together chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic cilantro and pepper. Coat pork cubes with mixture and let sit for 45 minutes in refrigerator.
    Bake in a 225-degree oven for two hours, until crispy.

Spinach and Leek White Bean Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 leeks, bulb only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 16-ounce cans fat-free chicken broth
2 16-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
2 cups packed fresh spinach
Salt
Pepper

    Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and saute about five minutes, until tender.
    Stir in chicken broth, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir in couscous. Cover and simmer five minutes.
    Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia

1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper
2 egg whites
1 pound tilapia fillets
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

    Sift or stir flour, salt and pepper together in a shallow dish.Set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites until white and frothy. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs with cornmeal and basil.
    Dip fillets into flour, shaking off any excess, then into egg whites, then into breadcrumb mixture.
    Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lay fillets flat in the dish, tucking under any thinner ends or edges for more even cooking. Bake in a 450-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a folk.

Salsa Chicken Burrito Filling

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 4-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup salsa
1 1.25-ounce package taco seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
Hot sauce to taste

    Place chicken breasts and tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the salsa, seasoning, cumin, garlic and chili powder. Let simmer 15 minutes.
    With a fork, shred chicken into thin strings. Keep cooking pulled chicken and sauce, covered, for five to 10 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste and stir together
    You may need to add a bit of water if the mixture gets too thick.

Tequila-Lime Pork Tenderloin

1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins

    Whisk together lime juice, tequila, orange juice, cilantro, chiles, chili powder, garlic, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour into a gallon-sized resealable bag, add the pork tenderloins, seal and store in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
    Cook the pork on a grill heated to high for about 20 minutes,, turning occasionally, until meat has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees.