Greek food is so flavorful and fresh tasting. And many of the dishes are surprisingly simple to make. Using store bought tzatziki here is a time saver, but if you want to make it from scratch, it’s pretty easy. It’s just a mixture of plain Greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber pieces. You can skip the tzatziki if you don’t like it, then just substitute some hummus to add in more moisture.

Greek Chicken Pitas

4 servings
310 calories per serving

1 lb. chicken tenders
1 t Greek seasoning (mix of oregano, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/2 c tzatkizi
4 8 inch pita breads
2 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
Pam

Spray a large skillet with Pam. Heat on medium high and add chicken. Sprinkle with the seasoning and cook 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and done throughout.

Slice pitas so you will be able to fill the pocket. Add chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and tzatziki. I often slice the chicken up first so it gets more distributed throughout the sandwich.

This one got its name because we kept asking each other to pass the mashed things. They were so good that I got my husband to eat carrots and my daughter to eat cauliflower

Mashed Things

2 servings
200 calories per serving

1 red potato, peeled and cubed
1 c small cauliflower florets
1/2 c baby carrots
1 c chicken broth
1 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 slice Kraft fat free singles American cheese
2 T skim milk
5 squirts ICBINB Spray

Bring veggies to a boil in the broth. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are soft. Drain the veggies and place them in a bowl with the cream cheese, cheese, garlic, milk, salt and pepper and beat with a mixer until creamy. If they are too dry, you can add more milk. Spray with the I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter spray just before serving.

For years I used MY standard chicken cacciatore recipe and I was very wary of trying a new one. Let me tell you, this one really fits the bill for a tasty, flavor packed, nutritious version that will quickly become one of your favorites.

Chicken Cacciatore in a Snap

4 servings
297 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 t oregano flakes
1/2 t basil flakes
1/4 t red pepper flakes
Pam
2 c sliced mushrooms
3/4 c chopped bell pepper
1 1/2 c fat free marinara sauce
1/4 c water
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T sliced fresh basil

Heat a large skillet on medium high and spray with Pam. Add chicken to pan with oregano, basil and red pepper. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Stir in sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and water and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil. Serve immediately.

This is so completely and utterly delicious ! You won’t even miss the CREAM in this ice ‘cream’. The yogurt and sugar make a great, sweet and creamy base and then the minced up frozen strawberries just take over and you have an explosion of flavor with each bite. This is an award winner. And at 70 calories per serving – soooooooooooo guilt free !

Strawberry Ice 'Cream'

4 servings
70 calories per serving

1 lb. frozen strawberries
1 c 2 % plain Greek yogurt
¼ c sugar
½ t vanilla extract

In food processor pulse 1 c frozen berries until finely chopped and then transfer to a metal bowl (a metal bowl will get colder quicker in the freezer). Process yogurt, sugar, vanilla and the rest of the berries – move to metal bowl and stir with the other strawberries. Cover and freeze 1 hour (do not let get too hard).

Mojitos are a GREAT summer drink. They are basically a lime and mint flavored drink – most often served with rum. But kids love the flavor, so make a batch of virgin mojitos without the rum – not only will the kids love them, but without the rum, the calorie count is seriously low. So get lotsa limes, lotsa mint and get ready to smile.

Virgin Mojitos

1 serving (12 oz.)
20 calories per serving

6 mint leaves
1 T Splenda or Equal
Juice of one lime
12 oz. can diet lemon lime side
Garnish with fresh mint and lime slices

Mull mint leaves and Splenda at the bottom of the glass with the handle of a wooden spoon. Add lime juice and stir. Pour in soda and stir well. Garnish with lime slices and extra mint.

You know the drill – toss the skewers and throw this in a grill basket ! But I still call it a “Kabob” recipe so you can visualize it The yogurt sauce is JUST PERFECT in this recipe. Serve with some cous cous on the side.

Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs

4 servings
261 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
½ c plain yogurt
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 t grated lime zest
2 T lime juice
2 T oil
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t curry powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 green bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini in ½ inch slices
10 grape tomatoes
Pam

For the marinade, mix yogurt, cilantro, lime peel and juice, oil, honey, mustard, garlic, curry, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a zip loc and pour in the marinade and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Heat grill and spray a grill basket with Pam. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally so that all sides of the meat and veggies get browned.

So easy to make – this takes just a few minutes. And the results are SUPER ! There will be lots of yummy noises as your group eats this one up. Serve with low cal crackers.

Broccoli Cheddar Dip

18 servings
72 calories per serving

10 oz. package frozen broccoli
8 oz. Cabot low fat sharp cheddar, grated
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T milk
1 t Tabasco sauce
1/2 t pepper

Microwave broccoli in a partially covered dish 8-10 minutes. Add cheddar, cream cheese, tabasco and pepper. Recover and microwave 1-2 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Stir until smooth. Serve immediately with crackers.

So savory and sooooo tasty ! Cooking the onion right in the burgers is a nice touch and there is sooooo much flavor from the grilled onion.

Grilled Onion Burgers

4 servings
320 calories per serving

1 large onion
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 ½ t garlic powder
4 slices low fat Swiss cheese
2 t oil
4 slices thick, hearty bread, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel onion and cut off 4 ¼ inch thick slices. Shape meat into patties and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and then press one onion slice into each burger and shape meat around the onion so it is even with the meat. Place burger onion side down on a hot grill and cook 5 minutes. Flip burger and cook another 5 minutes. Top with cheese during the last minute of grilling.

Cobb salads are a perfect lunch. They are packed with protein and give you the energy to get through the afternoon without any ‘3 o’clock sleepies’.

Turkey Cobb

8 servings
200 calories per serving

12 c mixed salad greens
6 oz. thin deli sliced roasted turkey breast, cut into strips
1 chopped avocado
1 ½ c grape tomatoes, halved
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 hard boiled eggs cut into wedges
1 c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz. light balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Place greens on a platter and then lay other ingredients in strips across the top. Place dressing on top of individual portions.

Stuffed artichokes cooked in a pressure cooker are delectable ! They soften up beautifully and the garlic seems to just be infused into the artichoke leaves. This is a great recipe – so flavorful, so classic.

Stuffed Artichokes (Pressure Cooker)

8 servings
105 calories per serving

8 large artichokes, trimmed
½ c bread crumbs
½ c grated parmesan cheese
½ c minced garlic
1 c chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon

Everyone trims an artichoke differently – I cut off the stem and then ½ inch from the top. Then I trim all the leaves by nipping off the end. To get the leaves to open up enough to stuff them, I bang the leave side down on the counter a couple of times – then you can use your fingers to pry open the leaves some. Yes, all this work is definitely worth it

Separate leaves slightly so you can drop in the ingredients – each should get bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic.

Place artichokes in pressure cooker (you can double decker them) and pour over broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then squirt with the juice of 1 lemon. Close pressure cooker and bring to pressure and cook 60 minutes. Quick release pressure.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook these stovetop in a dutch oven – simmer for 2 hours or until tender.

You can make these ahead of time and just reheat in the microwave prior to serving – I actually prefer to do it this way. They just seem to be more flavorful with the second heating.