Category Archives: Vegetables

Spicy Corn and Peppers

This recipe packs so much flavor into one dish – the milky sauce mixes just perfectly with the cayenne and onion to create a rich vegetable dish that has you coming back for more.

Spicy Corn and Peppers
Spicy Corn and Peppers

6 servings
127 calories per serving

2 T butter
½ c onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ t cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
16 oz. frozen corn
½ c diced tomatoes, drained (canned)
½ c whole milk

Melt butter in a skillet and add onion, pepper, cayenne and 1 t salt. Cook 7-8 minutes or until onion is soft then add the corn and tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the milk and then remove from heat and serve.

Goat Cheese and Mixed Nut Salad

This is definitely not a boring salad ! And it would transport really well – so mix it up, put it in a container and dress it just before serving.

Goat Cheese and Mixed Nut Salad
Goat Cheese and Mixed Nut Salad

1 serving
325 calories per serving

2 c mixed salad greens
5 grape tomatoes, halved
2 mushrooms, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T dry roasted mixed nuts, chopped
¼ c crumbled goat cheese
2 T fat free balsamic dressing

Place greens in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add all other salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing.

Eggplant Tomato Rounds

Serve 4 rounds per person for lunch or lighten it up and serve one round as an appetizer for only 42 calories !

But I bet you can’t eat just one ! 🙂

Eggplant Tomato Rounds
Eggplant Tomato Rounds

4 servings
165 calories per serving (4 rounds)

2 small eggplants, peeled and cut into 8 slices each
2 T oil
½ t salt
⅛ t pepper
½ t garlic powder
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
½ t basil flakes
½ t oregano flakes
½ cup low fat provolone cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush both sides of each eggplant round with oil and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper then bake 5 minutes per side. Please a slice of tomato on each round and sprinkle with oregano and basil. Divide cheese among the rounds and bake 5 minute to melt the cheese.

Zucchini Boats

This has a definite Middle Eastern flair to it with the coriander and cumin as the main seasoning. Serve next to Eastern Fried Rice for a great vegetarian meal.

Zucchini Boats
Zucchini Boats

4 servings
107 calories per serving

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
½ T oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz. button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 t ground coriander
¾ t ground cumin
½ c chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Scoop the flesh out of the middle of the zucchinis to create boats for the filling. Chop the removed flash and reserve. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions 5 minutes then add garlic and cook another minute. Add chopped zucchini and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes then add coriander, cumin, chick peas, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. Stuff the zucchini shells and bake 35-40 minutes.

Veggie Platter

Veggies are good. Veggies are sweet. Veggies are full of fiber. Veggies are good for you.

Veggies are a pain in the butt to prep !

But if you do a whole big platter when you have time over the weekend, then you can eat off of it all week long 🙂

As a snack, dip veggies in low fat dressing. As a side to lunch or dinner, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Chop up and use in soups, salads and stews. The possibilities are endless !

So take 1/2 hour over the weekend and get your veggie on !

Vegetable Paella

This is loaded with veggies and tastes so good ! It’s way quicker than a regular paella and if you really want some seafood in there, add some Buttery Baked Shrimp. Paella is a great healthy dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Vegetable Paella
Vegetable Paella

6 servings
362 calories per serving

3 T oil
½ onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
12 oz. sliced mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t paprika
1 t oregano
½ t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
1 ½ c brown rice (MINUTE rice)
2 ½ c vegetable stock / broth
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 ½ t salt
9 oz. baby spinach leaves, chopped roughly
1 c frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 c frozen or canned artichoke hearts
2 T red vinegar
¼ c chopped parsley

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium heat and cook onion 7 minutes. Add bell pepper, poblano pepper, mushrooms and salt and cook 5 minutes then add garlic, paprika, oregano, red pepper and black pepper and continue cooking another minute or two. Add stock and tomatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Then stir in rice. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, peas, artichokes, vinegar and half the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover again and let sit 5 minutes for all the juices to absorb. Serve with parsley garnish.

Mushroom and Feta Salad

This has sooooo much flavor in it that you just want to keep eating and eating ! It was just a perfect mix of ingredients and makes a great lunch serving.

Mushroom and Feta Salad
Mushroom and Feta Salad

2 servings
270 calories per serving

6 T Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing, divided
2 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
5 c mixed salad greens
½ c chopped roasted red peppers
½ c low fat crumbled feta cheese
2 T toasted pine nuts

Brush mushrooms and squash with oil and 2 T of the dressing, Grill or broil 3-4 minutes each side and then cut mushrooms into slices. Add mushrooms and squash to lettuce and peppers. Add the rest of the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts and serve immediately.

To toast nuts, heat a dry skillet and sauté nuts 5 minutes or so. You will know they are done because you will star to smell the nutty aroma 🙂

Breaded Tomatoes

This is high cal for a vegetable dish but served as a lunch alongside some tuna sprinkled with lemon, it’s a nice change. You don’t even need to wait for good summer tomatoes, because the cooking brings out the sweetness.

Breaded Tomatoes
Breaded Tomatoes

4 servings
285 calories per serving

Pam
1 1/2 c plain breadcrumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 T lemon zest
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with Pam. In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese, zest and oil. Add salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes and arrange in dish. Season with salt and pepper and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Chopped Salad

The idea of a chopped salad is to get all the ingredients chopped uniformly and small – otherwise, it is just not a chopped salad ! And to me, prepping things in this fashion DOES make a difference in the flavor of the salad. There is something about getting a bunch of the ingredients in your mouth at the same time – it just makes for a flavor explosion !

Chopped Salad
Chopped Salad

6 servings
200 calories per serving

1/2 c white balsamic vinegar
3 stalks celery, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1 large peach, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 c coarsely chopped arugula or spring mix or any other crisp greens
1 c thinly sliced napa cabbage
3 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 oz. crumbed low fat goat cheese
½ c slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1 large hard boiled egg, sliced
Smoked paprika

Mix together all the veggies with oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and then add in cheese and almonds. Top with eggs and sprinkle with paprika.

To toast the almonds, simply place in a hot skillet and sauté until toasty and starting to brown.

Citrus Salad

Great served hot – and equally as good served chilled. This side salad has a great taste and is very easy to prepare!

Citrus Salad
Citrus Salad

4 servings
280 calories per serving

2 c Minute brown rice, uncooked
6 oz. baby spinach leaves
11 oz. can mandarin oranges
½ c light Catalina dressing

Cook rice according to package instructions. Place in a bowl and add spinach and oranges then toss with dressing t coat.

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