Delicious and Yet, Somehow, Low-Calorie Spinach Recipe

The recipe below is from a favorite cookbook of mine: The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show.  As you may know, I’m totally hooked on any and all things associated with The Biggest Loser.  I LOVE the show’s premise of changing lives – they literally give these wonderful people a second chance at life and I don’t guess I’ve ever watched an episode without tearing up at least once.

I also have their exercise dvds (although a recent one has just about been the end of me!) and every cookbook I can get my hands on.

I haven’t bought the newest Biggest Loser Desserts Cookbook yet or the Food and Activity Journal but I will.  I’ve looked through them several times at the bookstore. I even committed to memory an Orange Smoothie recipe, went directly to the store for the ingredients (you know, before the memory train rode off into the sunset) and made some that night.  Delicious!!!

This healthy, low-calorie, and outrageously delicious Spinach recipe was titled “Melinda’s Holiday Spinach” in the cookbook but I’m just going with “Melinda’s Spinach” below.  I wouldn’t want anyone thinking you had to wait for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday to make this dish.  I actually first made it during the summer – I remember because I was listening to baseball (another obsession) while cooking.

Give this one a try, you’re going to love it.

Melinda’s Spinach Recipe

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped white onions
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 sliced fresh mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bag (9 oz or 12 cups) baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon light cream cheese from a block, at room temperature

Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the spinach. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted. Remove from the heat. Add the cream cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 (2/3 cup) servings.

Per Serving: 91 calories

More about the Cookbook

The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show is packed with recipes you’ll use again and again. There are healthy breakfast recipes, healthy snack recipes, healthy sides, soups, stews, and even healthy desserts.  As a grand #1 snacker, I’m saved by the snacks in this cookbook!  My family and I love to snack while watching our favorite tv shows and ballgames.  If it weren’t for healthy recipes like these… well, I don’t even want to think about it.  I probably wouldn’t be able to fit through my back door.

A few of my personal favorite recipes are:

• Seth’s Fiesta Poached Eggs
• Pete’s Man-Size Low-Calorie Breakfast Omelet
• Kelly’s Cottage Cheese and Fruit Parfait
• Lox-Of-Muscle Crisps (my oldest daughter and I down these like they’re doughnut holes)
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip
• Spinach Skinny Dip
• Bob’s Popcorn with a Jessica twist
• BBQ Pork Sandwich
• Mom’s New Beef Stew
• Parmesan-Pepper Sweet Potato Fries
• Garlic and Chive Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Mo’s Spinach Ricotta Bake
• Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower
• Greek God(Dess) Salad (LOVE it!)
• Pecan Crusted Chicken
• Pan “Fried” Catfish with Southwest Tartar Sauce
• Iced Buffed Mocha
• Lisa’s Frozen Gramwiches
• Melinda’s Holiday Spinach
• …. and, well… all the rest!

I could list a lot more recipes, but quite frankly I’ve worked up an appetite. I’m 2 minutes away from fixing Seth’s Fiesta Poached Eggs for brunch and my mouth’s watering.

This really and truly is a wonderful cookbook – and one that you’ll again and again.  A lot of cookbooks have less than a handful of recipes you’ll actually use.  When it comes to this book, you’d need a team of hands.  Plus, we’re talking about ingredients that are easy to find. In fact, a lot of them are probably in your kitchen right now.  I love that!  The Biggest Loser Cookbook is also packed with inspirational contestant stories and advice from the trainers.

If you’ve made a commitment to fitness and to living healthier, you’ll want to arm yourself with all the tools and motivation you can get your hands on.  The Biggest Loser cookbooks, books, and dvds are an excellent way to fill your arsenal with tools that’ll help you meet (and surpass) your goals.  Also, watching the show each Tuesday night will also give you tons of advice, tips, motivation, and inspiration.

Here’s an extra little tip:  Follow the trainers and host on Twitter!  They’re always sharing tips, advice, motivation, and even recipes. You never know what they’re going to say or do next and they’re excellent at fan interaction.

The information is below and your goals are within reach.

Alison Sweeney: @AliSweeney

Bob Harper: @MyTrainerBob

Jillian Michaels: @JillianMichaels