Who’d have thought you could make egg salad using Egg Beaters? But there is a method to HARD COOK Egg Beaters and this egg salad sandwich was pretty darned good !
Egg Salad Sandwiches
6 servings
173 calories per serving
1 c Egg Beaters
¼ c celery, chopped
2 T fat free mayo
12 slices whole wheat bread
6 lettuce leaves
1 large tomato in 6 thin slices
Hard cook egg beaters by placing then in a nonstick skillet, covering and cooking 10 minutes over very, very low heat. Cool and then cut into cubes and mix with celery and mayo. Place lettuce and tomato on sandwiches and top with egg salad.
It is amazing how creamy of a product this turns out considering there is no ice cream maker involved. I’ve made it many times, always with good results. It’s well worth the calories 🙂 If you are lucky enough to know what Carvel ice cream tastes like – – well, this is similar !
Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream
12 ½ c servings
299 calories per serving
½ c whole milk
1 T vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 t salt
2 c heavy cream
Stir milk, vanilla, condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl. Beat heavy cream to stiff peaks (but don’t over beat or the cream will begin to break down) and then fold into the milk mix. Folding is just a method to mix things a little gentler than stirring. You just keep inserting a spatula or spoon UNDER the ingredients and left or fold them up on top – keep repeating to fully incorporate the ingredients. Pour into a shallow 1 ½ quart METAL (because it conducts the cold better) bowl and freeze the mix 4 hours, stirring once halfway through.
If you keep this in the freezer for more than a day, it will get very hard and you need to let it sit a few minutes before scooping out servings.
Variations:
Strawberry – omit the milk and vanilla – instead stir in 4 c pureed strawberries and 2 T corn syrup.
Coffee – add 2 T instant coffee to the milk and dissolve , then continue with other steps
Others – add 2 T flavored coffee creamers to the milk mix (Irish Cream tastes GREAT)
Cucumbers done in a white vinegar dressing is a dish in many cultures…they are just meant to be paired. At only 20 calories per serving, this zesty side salad is a definite ‘go-to’ recipe of mine !
Cucumbers and Onions
4 servings
20 calories per serving
2 cucumbers
½ onion, sliced thin (try red onions for their mellower flavor)
½ c white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel the cucumbers and then slice in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds (or use English cucumbers which are pretty much seedless) and then slice very thin. Place in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and let marinate in the refrigerator at least one hour.
A simple dish with a simple combination of flavors that can be paired with anything. And at only 18 calories per serving, it is insanely low in calories. I always wondered if celery really was a negative calorie food..hmmmm???
Celery Parsley Salad
4 servings
18 calories per serving
4 celery stalks sliced thin
¼ c packed parsley leaves
1 ½ t sherry vinegar
1 t oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Let’s face it – peeling potatoes is a drag ! Well, I came across these instructions on the internet and let me tell you, they work like a charm. The peels just pulled off the boiled potatoes in no time ! Usually if you peel them ahead of time, the outsides get all mushy and mealy and peeling them afterward with a peeler or knife is time consuming at best.
Here is a video instructional showing you how to do it:
Basically, you just score the potatoes the whole way around with a sharp knife (about 1/4 inch deep) and drop them into boiling water for 15 minutes. Take them out and place into an ice bath (ice cubes mixed with cold water) and mix around for 15 seconds. Then take them out of the ice water and apply a little squeezing pressure and the peels come right off !
The only thing I would do different than the video is cook the potatoes a little longer – they were not quite done yet in the middle. If I was going to cube them up for hash browns or further cooking after being sliced or cubed, this would be fine. But they were too undercooked to use for potato salad – I would boil another 5-7 minutes for that. Hope you use this method for easier potato prep in the future !
For 400 calories you can have a hot dog on a bun with mustard and sauerkraut, a side of veggies and some dessert ! There is just no reason to feel deprived eating 400 calorie meals !
Hot Dog Platter
1 serving
260 calories per serving
1 hot dog (100 calorie light dog)
1 100 calorie bun
Mustard
1 Pickle (maybe a homemade one! )
1/2 c baby carrots
Cook the hotdog (either boil, grill or fry in a skillet sprayed with Pam). Place on bun (toasted, if you want). Top with mustard. On the side, have a pickle and a half cup of baby carrots.
This lunch is really quick and a great one to pack in a lunch bag and bring to work. Serve over lettuce if you wish, but I prefer to eat it next to a salad with a zesty low fat dressing.
Tuna with Lemon
1 serving
60 calories per serving
1/2 can white albacore tuna, drained well and flaked
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Put tuna on a plate and squeeze juice over it. Season with salt and pepper.
These make a great appetizer or side on a lunch platter.
Cucumber Rounds
6 servings
50 calories per serving
1 English cucumber, peeled (if you use a regular cucumber, be sure to scoop out the seeds)
1/4 c Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese, chive and onion flavor
Fresh dill sprigs (optional)
12 little strips sundried tomatoes (blot off oil)
Cut cucumber into 12 slices. Scoop out a bit if the middle of each to make a little ‘cup’ to hold the cheese. Fill each with cheese. Top each with a sprig of dill and a strip of sundried tomato.
This is a nice protein packed lunch that’s not short on flavor – add some extra garlic if you like your Caesar extra zippy.
Caesar Salad with Shrimp
2 servings
220 calories per serving
6 c chopped romaine lettuce
4 T shredded parmesan cheese
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T lemon juice
2 T low calorie Caesar dressing
Pam
Combine lemon and garlic in a small bowl and add shrimp. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Spray a skillet with Pam and add shrimp. Cook until pink about 3-4 minutes. Pour shrimp over lettuce and top with dressing and shredded cheese.
This is a great low calorie side to any lunch or dinner. In the summer, I substitute heirloom tomatoes from the local farmer’s market. Regular cucumber can be used, but English cucumbers have many less seeds and I find them more enjoyable. I often substitute fresh herbs if I have them around (parsley, basil, dill, chives, etc.)
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
4 servings
38 calories per serving
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut in thin slices
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t oregano flakes
½ t basil flakes
¼ t red pepper flakes
4 T vinegar
Place all in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to let flavors mix.
