Recipe #1

Since I started dieting and exercising, I've gotten a lot of the same question: What do you eat?  When I reply that it's mainly fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and small portions of lean meat, most people come away looking really disappointed with my answer.  I know what they want me to say--that I'm taking this magical little pill and the weight is simply melting off my bones.  But it doesn't work that way.  Weight-loss comes with hard work, and yes, that does mean sacrificing some things.  You can't eat everything you want, never exercise and still lose weight--no matter what the weight-loss commercials promise.

However, that does not mean that I eat bad or boring food.  On the contrary, a lot of the foods I eat now are more flavorful than those I ate previously.  The reason being, of course, is that when you take out a lot of the fattier parts of a meal, you have to replace them with big flavors to keep your mouth interested.  I actually have spices in my cabinet beyond salt and pepper now!  It's amazing what a spritz of lime will do to a dish.  So, to prove that eating well can actually be tasty and enjoyable, I'm going to share a favorite recipe or two from time to time. 

Today's recipe is: Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
1 Onion
4 Yellow Squash (small)*
4 Zucchini (small)*
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 entire garlic head, minced
1 can green chilies
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 box reduced sodium chicken stock

Preparation:
Chop the onion, squash, and zucchini into 1/2 inch pieces.  Heat a pot over medium heat, and spray the surface with cooking spray.  Add the minced garlic, and saute for a few seconds before adding in the onion, squash, and zucchini.  Saute until the vegetables begin to get soft.  Pour in the can of stewed tomatoes, can of fire-roasted tomatoes, can of green chilies and box of chicken stock.  Add in cumin and chili powder.  Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are almost tender.  Add in frozen corn.  Once the corn is cooked through, you're ready to eat!

~Optional Garnishes~ Shredded Low-Fat Cheese, Fat Free Sour Cream, Chopped Spring Onions, Diced Avocado

*I always choose the smallest size zucchini and squash that I can, because it means the seeds haven't had time to develop within the vegetable, and the seeds can often be bitter.  Not everyone minds this, however, so if you only have larger veg to work with, use only two of each.