My name is Jared Hansen. I am a personal fitness and nutrition consultant and a certified personal trainer. This blog is dedicated to the support and education of anyone who wants to build a healthy, strong body.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Creamy Pesto Pasta



6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/3 cup reduced-fat parmesan cheese
2 Tbs basil (I prefer chopped, frozen)
1 - 2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup fat free half and half

Cook spaghetti, drain and set aside. Mix parmesan, basil, garlic, and olive oil in a blender. Spoon mixture into a saucepan, set to low heat, and whisk in half and half. When mixture is smooth, add in pasta. Stir gently until all noodles are coated with sauce. Serve warm (sauce will become thick as it cools).

Optional:
For a smoother consistency, add in 1 Tbs of white cooking wine to sauce mixture. This recipe works as a great meal with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories- 225 Carbs- 35g Protein- 9g Fat- 6g

Friday, February 5, 2010

Parmesan Tilapia


I love watching Food Network. The other night they had a "Battle Tilapia" on Iron Chef America. The one thing that I heard the most during that program was different phrasings to the point of "tilapia has very little flavor." With that in mind, most of my tilapia recipes are heavy on extra flavors. If you happen to like the taste, what little there is of the fish, then please, go easy on the ingredients, otherwise, load 'em on!

4 tilapia fillets, thawed if previously frozen
4 Tbs low-fat parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the seasonings, including cheese, in a bowl. Remove excess moisture from tilapia fillets with a paper towel. (Optional- you can lightly brush melted lite margarine on each side of fillet before laying them in the seasoning. This is not necessary to make the seasoning stick, but it will make it crispier in the oven. Keep in mind that this will add more fat to the dish.) Lay each fillet in the season mixture, patting on extra to cover both sides. Line a pan with aluminum foil and set the fillets in the pan. Cook fillets for 10- 15 minutes or until done. Parmesan mixture will be a light, golden brown after baking.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories-115 Carbs-0g Protein-21g Fat- 3g