Citrus and chicken just go together ! And the flavor punch for almost no added calories is a great way to feel satisfied even after eating a smaller meal. There’s lots of calories to spare here, so add a hearty side dish and enjoy.
Citrus Chicken
4 servings
133 calories per serving
4 small b/s chicken breasts
2t garlic powder
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c lime juice
2 t lemon pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small baking dish with Pam. Rub the chicken with the dry spices. Spray a skillet with Pam and cook the chicken 3-4 minutes per side to brown. Then place the chicken in the baking dish and pour the citrus juice over the chicken and bake 20-25 minutes.
Lotsa different toppings can go on here to change it up. Anything that goes on a real pizza tastes good here. Extra veggies really don’t push up the calorie count much…mushrooms, peppers, onions, broccoli, etc.
4 servings
285 calories per serving
4 6-inch whole wheat pitas (Arnold’s Sahara are a good low cal choice)
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano flakes
1 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
16 slices turkey pepperoni
1/2 T olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush oil on the pitas. Spread with sauce and sprinkle with oregano, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle cheese over the tops. Add pepperoni slices. Cook for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
This recipe is a little sweet, so try pairing it with some Asian inspired sides to keep the flavor combinations flattering.
Pineapple Pork
4 servings
163 calories per serving
1 pound bone out pork chops
1 ½ T teriyaki sauce
1 ½ t cornstarch
¼ t ground ginger
6 oz pineapple juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
Spray large skillet with Pam and heat on medium high. When hot, place chops in pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook roughly 10 minutes per side or until browned and mostly done.
Combine the sauce, starch and ginger in a bowl and stir well, breaking up all the cornstarch lumps. Pour over the chops and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
There’s nothing like a hot bowl of stew on a cold night. This one is packed with goodness and tastes so very yummy !
Beef Stew
4 servings
275 calories per serving
1 lb. lean steak (sirloin, London broil, filet, etc.) cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 c green beans
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 1 very large)
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef broth
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef gravy
¼ t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t olive oil
Heat pan to medium high heat and then add oil. When oil is hot, add beef. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook beef until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add broth, gravy, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Then cover and cook 45 minutes on low heat. Add potatoes and cook another 30 minutes. Add green beans and cook a final 15 minutes.
Alternately, you can add all at once and crock pot this meal on low 5-6 hours – but the veggies will not be as crisp.
This soup uses up leftovers and is super simple to put together. You can always add extra fresh or dried herbs to make it as spicy as you like. I just sent some of this over to my sick soon to be sister-in-law. Hope it makes her all better 🙂
Rustic Chicken Soup
6 servings
202 calories per serving
3 ½ quarts water
2 c tomato soup
6 oz leftover grilled chicken, cut into small cubes
1 c shredded carrots
1 c green beans, trimmed
1 c small potato cubes
1 c white beans (canned)
1 onion, sliced
1 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c leftover roasted tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
½ c grated parmesan cheese
2 t dry chicken bouillon powder
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Very spicy. Very low calories. Very high in protein. All good things 🙂
This one is truly not for the feint of heart – the Cajun spice definitely leaves your mouth burning and I always pair this with something that will help cool it down; a spinach salad, fresh cranberry relish, citrus slices, etc.
Cajun Seafood Mix
4 servings
80 calories per serving
16 large raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned
12 large raw scallops, cleaned
Cajun seasoning mix (available at all food markets)
Parsley for garnish
Pam
Place a good amount of Cajun seasoning in a bowl and dredge each piece of fish to full coat it. Alternately, you can place the spice in a zip love bag with the fish and shake, shake, shake until all are coated. But I find you get a thicker coating with the dredging method.
Heat a pan on medium high heat. Remove from heat and spray with Pam. Return to heat and place scallops and in the pan. Typically large scallops are cooked 7-9 minutes total, but I like mine more well done so I go 11-13 minutes (about 6 minutes per side). You can be sure they are done by poking them – if they are soft and squishy, they are not done. You need them to have a little bounce and be firm – then they are done.
The shrimp will cook in 7-9 minutes, so place in the pan just before you are ready for the scallops to be flipped. Shrimp are done when they are pink and firm. Remove to a plate and garnish with parsley before serving.
This crock pot meal is easier than easy ! Leftover meat, a couple cans and a little bit of chopping means only a 10 minute prep. Beef and Black Bean Stew
4 servings
232 calories per serving
8 oz. leftover grilled lean sirloin beef (grill an extra steak one night and freeze the left over portion to save it for this meal)
15.5 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
14.5 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 T sour cream
Place all except the sour cream in a crock pot. Mix well and cook on low for 4 hours.
Place a dollop of sour cream on each bowl before serving.
A great recipe that is as tasty as my original ‘non diet’ version of this dish. It takes 5 minutes to throw it together and then it cooks for 6 hours in a crock pot leaving you time to blog while your dinner cooks 🙂 Serve with Rice and Pasta with Parmesan Cheese and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic for a great complete meal under 400 calories.
Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken
6 servings
170 calories per serving
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (120 calories each – 4 ounces each)
¼ c white cooking wine or dry white wine
20 cloves whole garlic
4 stalks of celery, sliced
2 T basil flakes
2 t parsley flakes
1/8 t red pepper flakes
¼ c white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon (just the yellow, not the bitter white)
Pam
Zesting Lemons, Limes and Oranges is a snap with this tool. I have a whole set of Microplane graters from fine to coarse and they never fail to get the job done easily and quickly.
In a small bowl, mix the wine with the basil, parsley and red pepper flakes. Spray a skillet with a small amount of Pam and heat on high for a few moments. Quickly brown the chicken on both sides and remove from pan so they do not cook too much. Add the garlic and celery to the wine mix and stir around to coat well. Place the garlic mix in the bottom of the crock pot.
Place browned chicken breasts atop the garlic mix. Squirt the juice of one lemon over the chicken. Put the zest of one lemon over the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Cover the crock and cook on low 6 hours.
