Category Archives: Lunch

Salsa Black Bean Soup

April 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This was so super delicious ! It rivals any restaurant soup out there ! I made it without the cheese and it was so incredibly tasty that you did not miss it at all.

4 servings
213 calories

1 t oil
1 T minced garlic
2 c water
1/2 t chipotle chile powder or 3 t chipotle sauce
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle salsa
1 T lime juice
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil and sauté garlic 1 minute. Stir in water, chipotle, beans and salsa. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove 2 c of the mix and put in a blender and puree. Then put back in the pan and simmer 15 minutes. Then add the juice and cilantro and simmer 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

Lunch, Pork, Sandwiches

Ham and Provolone Melt

April 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Placing these in the oven for 10 minutes transforms these from good sandwiches to GREAT sandwiches. All the flavors combine so nicely and the garlic and pepper give it just a little bite. These are definitely in my top 10 sandwiches !

1 serving
357 calories per serving

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin bun
4 slices thin sliced deli ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat provolone cheese
1 T olive oil
½ clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 slice tomato
½ green pepper in thin slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mid together garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Place ham, peppers and tomato on bun. Drizzle with garlic and oil mix and top with cheese. Wrap sandwich in foil and bake 10 minutes.

Lunch, Pork, Soups

Emeril’s Ham and Split Pea Soup

April 16, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I made just a few variations to Emeril’s original recipe. This is just OUTSTANDING ! The flavor is so big and I like the texture of this so much better than the pureed versions of split pea soup.

6 servings
268 calories per serving

1 pound dried split peas
1 ham bone (leftover from a baked ham meal)
3 T butter
1 c finely chopped onions
¾ c finely chopped celery
½ c finely chopped carrots
2 t minced garlic
1 lb. lean ham cut into small cubes (leftover from baked ham meal)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
8 c water
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme flakes

Even if the package says that no soaking is necessary, soak the peas over night in a large bowl with water at least 2 inches over the peas. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter and cook onion 2-3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook another 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in peas, water, ham, and spices. Add in ham bone. Cover and cook 1 hour or until peas are tender. Remove ham bone and bay leaf, leave uncovered and cook another ½ hour to thicken. If it gets too thick, add extra water.

Beef, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Grilled Cheesesteak Sandwich

April 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Try serving with some celery and carrot stix on the side. If you use 45 calorie per slice bread, you can really BEEF up on the beef 😉

1 serving
320 calories per serving

6 slices shaved and lean deli roast beef
2 rings green bell pepper
2 slices FF Kraft singles
2 slices Marble Rye or bread of your choice (no more than 100 calories per slice)
Pam
ICBINB Spray

Make sandwiches. Spray skillet with Pam and heat. Spray outside of each slice of bread with 5 spritzes of ICBINB Spray. Grill 3 minutes each side.

Asian, Lunch, Soups

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

March 27, 2011 admin Leave a comment

With this recipe you are basically adding a red curry sauce (coconut milk and red curry) to an already delicious soup – – and what you get is a spicy, authentic Thai soup that tastes just perfect.

5 servings
174 calories per serving

2 18 oz. cartons butternut squash soup
¾ c light coconut milk
2 t red curry paste
¼ t salt
½ c plain fat free yogurt
2 T finely chopped cilantro
15 fat free croutons

Mix soup, milk, salt and paste in a pan and cook 6 minutes or until completely heated. Mix yogurt and cilantro. Put soup in bowls and swirl in some yogurt on the top – add croutons and serve immediately.

Lunch, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey Reuben Sandwich

March 26, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is an awesome reuben sandwich ! Give it a try 🙂

1 serving
330 calories per serving

1 Arnold Sandwich Thins roll (only 100 calories each !)
1 T low fat thousand island dressing
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
3 oz. smoked turkey deli meat
2 T sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread half the dressing on both buns. Add cheese, turkey and kraut to the roll and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining piece of roll, wrap in foil and bake 5-7 minutes.

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Lunch, Salads, Sides

Spaghetti Salad

March 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great lunch size serving. You could also halve the portion and serve as a dinner side. The pasta and veggies are just a perfect lunch !

4 servings
280 calories per serving

8 oz. FiberGourmet spaghetti broken in thirds (without FiberGourmet, you have to add 70 calories per serving)
2 c frozen mixed vegetables
¾ c grape tomatoes, cut in half
½ c low fat zesty Italian dressing

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions and in the last 5 minutes, drop in the frozen veggies. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool down. Toss pasta mix and the rest of the ingredients then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so flavors blend.

Lunch, Soups

Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup

March 14, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This has the down home earthy flavor that all good soups should have. I had a leftover baked potato when I made this last, so I cubed it up and threw it in for some extra bulk. Sometimes I used canned chipotle pepper instead of poblanos. This one is easy to make your own – so many extras go so well with the ingredients.

4 servings
157 calories per serving

14 oz. can chicken broth, divided
1 c water
2 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
16 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium poblano chile, halved and seeded
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T lime juice
1 T oil
1/2 t salt
¼ t pepper

Mix broth, chili powder and cumin in a large soup pot on medium high heat. Mix the water with the pepper and onion in a food processor and pulse to chop veggies. Add onion mix to pot. Mash some beans a bit to help thicken the soup and then add all beans to the pots. Put tomatoes and cilantro in food processor and coarsely chop then add this to the pot. Bring all to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, oil, salt and pepper.

Lunch, Sandwiches, Turkey

Warm Turkey Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

March 13, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The caramelized onions make this taste totally different than just a regular turkey sandwich – it’s such a filling and satisfying sandwich that it makes just as good a dinner meal as it does lunch. You might even want to serve it open faced and add a tablespoon or so of turkey gravy. This has enormous flavor.

Warm Turkey Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

4 servings
267 calories per serving

1 T oil
2 medium sized onions, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
24 slices thin deli turkey (Oscar Mayer makes a great pre-packaged deli turkey)
4 Arnold Select Thins (thin rolls)
4 T low fat mayo
4 butter or green leaf lettuce leaves

Heat oil in a skillet and then cook onions 5 minutes on high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking 20 minutes or until golden brown. You may need to add hot water a tablespoon at a time to keep them from drying out. When done, season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Place turkey in pan to briefly heat it. Then place it onto rolls that have been spread with mayo. Top with onions and add lettuce leaves.

Lunch, Sandwiches

Tomato and Mozz Panini

March 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Another from the stable of easy grilled cheese sandwiches – I do so many in the very similar way of cooking – but each is stuffed with different types of ingredients and gives you a whole different taste treat. This one is like easting a Caprese Salad.

1 serving
330 calories per serving

1 Arnold sandwich thins roll (only 100 calories!)
4 thin slices of tomato
3 oz. low fat mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 T basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
ICBINB Spray

Place cheese on bottom bun, then add tomatoes and finally basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and close sandwich and spray each side with a few squirts of ICBINB Spray. Spray a hot skillet with Pam. Heat each side of the sandwich 2-3 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted.