This is just one of those special recipes – this makes a beautiful risotto-like dish that bakes up with no effort. It is creamy and delicious.

Baked Zucchini Risotto

12 servings
204 calories per serving

1 1/2 c brown rice
3 c chicken broth
4 c diced zucchini
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, diced finely
3/4 t salt
Pepper to taste
1 1/2 c skim milk
3 T flour
2 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 c frozen corn, thawed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Pour rice into a 9×13 baking dish. Simmer broth until hot and then stir into the rice. Add zucchini, peppers, onion, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes then remove foil and cook another 35 minutes or so, until liquid is all absorbed.

Whisk milk and flour in a saucepan and cook until bubbly and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add 1 ½ c of the cheese and corn and cook until cheese is all melted. When rice is done, stir in cheese sauce and sprinkle with the last ½ c cheese and bake another 10 minutes to melt cheese. Let rest before serving.

There is something so homey about this dish. It is savory, filling, and sooooo does not say ‘diet’ – - it makes a fantastic dish to serve guests.

Ham and Barley Bake

8 servings
222 calories per serving

1 T buttery spread
1 c uncooked barley
1 c chopped carrots
4 scallions, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cooked smoked ham, cubed
2 t basil flakes
1 t oregano flakes
¼ t pepper
28 oz. beef broth
½ lb. fresh green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with Pam. Melt buttery spread in a skillet on medium high and add barley, carrots, onions, celery and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ham, basil, oregano and pepper and then pour into the baking dish. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan and then pour over ham mix. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in beans, recover, and bake another 30 minutes or until barley is tender.

There are a lot of textures and flavors here and that is what makes this such an interesting sandwich. It’s a nice spin on a classic tuna nicoise plate.

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

1 serving
300 calories per serving

1 Arnold sandwich thin roll (only 100 calories !)
4 oz. tuna fish
1 t mustard
1 T black olives, sliced
½ c arugula
½ tomato, sliced
1 T hummus
½ hard boiled egg, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Drain tuna. Spread hummus on bottom bun and spread mustard on top bun and build sandwich up in this order – - tuna, olives, tomato, arugula, egg, salt and pepper.

These are just AMAZING ! Serve as an appetizer, a lunch, even a dinner with a salad next to them. The sundried tomato flavor mixed with the flavor of the cheese and the mushrooms is just outstanding. The prep is quick and easy and these are just amazing !

Mini Mushroom Pizza

4 servings
170 calories per serving

4 Arnold Sandwich Thins roll (only 100 calories each !)
4 chopped sundried tomatoes (give them ounces or tablespoons worth)
1 T oil from the sundried tomatoes
1 c fat free ricotta cheese
8 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 c baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic power
Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast rolls in toaster. Heat oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms until soft, about 7 minutes. Add salt, pepper, red pepper and garlic powder. Pulse tomatoes in a food processor or chop very finely and stir into ricotta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cheese mix on the rolls and add spinach leaves. Finally add mushroom mix to the top and bake 5-7 minutes.

Healthy, sweet, frozen, different – these make a great snack ! Try serving with a little cookie pressed into the top.

Fruit and Creamsicles

12 servings
94 calories per serving

¼ c walnuts
2 ripe bananas
2 c non fat sour cream
8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained well
1/3 c mini marshmallows
¼ c sugar
1 t vanilla

Pulse walnuts in a blender to chop finely. Add bananas and pulse to blend then add cream, pineapple, marshmallows, sugar and vanilla and pulse to mix. Spoon ¼ c in each of 12 muffin cups and freeze 2 hours them remove and serve (I use silicone muffin cups).

Another recipe from the really, really easy stable. I don’t often use store bought sauces as many are filled with sugar – but this one is worth it for a treat !

Kung Pao Pork

4 servings
381 calories per serving

1 1b. pork loin, sliced thin
16 oz. bag frozen stir fry veggies, defrosted
4 T Kung Pao sauce (available in the Asian section of your market)
Pam
2 c cooked brown minute rice

Spray skillet with Pam and heat to medium high. Stir fry pork 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add vegetables and continue cooking 7 minutes or until all heated through. Add sauce and cook another 2 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

It was a year ago today that 400 Calories or Less opened !! Happy Birthday to me

Thanks to all of you for sharing my passion for good food. Thanks for sending your comments, suggestions and questions. And thanks for sharing the year with me. Now let’s eat cake

Did someone say poundcake ? Did someone say cinnamon sauce? Add the 2 together and you get QUITE the dessert. And, of course, it’s available from Plentiful Pantry ! Just add this to their growing list of mixes that get you out of the kitchen in no time flat.

Poundcake with Cinnamon Sauce

As usual with the mixes from Plentiful Pantry, the dish had the guests OOOing and AHHHing as they bit into the most moist poundcake they had ever had (and that was before I even added the sauce !). All I did was add butter and water – how great is that !?!?

Check out the full line of desserts over at Plentiful Pantry. They have so many different ones to choose from and they all turn out perfect dishes full of homemade taste.

This is a great ‘all in one’ dish – a casserole that is one part mac and cheese and one part chicken and broccoli – scrumptious !

Chicken and Pasta Bake

4 servings
320 calories per serving

1 ½ c small FiberGourmet pasta (rotini, elbows, etc.)
3 c broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
½ c fat free chicken broth
2 oz. low fat cream cheese
1 c low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet sprayed with Pam 3 -5minutes then stir in broth and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and reduce heat to low and cook 1 minute to melt cheese then stir in ½ c mozzarella. Cook pasta according to package instructions putting broccoli in the same pot during the last minute of cooking. Combine drained pasta with chicken mix and place in a medium baking dish and bake 15minutes then sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and the parmesan and bake another 3 minutes.

What a great way to serve broccoli ! Just a little bit of crunch from the topping, creaminess from the soup and cheese – - all over a great broccoli dish full of vitamins and fiber.

Broccoli Casserole with Cheese

7 servings
81 calories per serving

2 10 oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
2 t lemon juice
½ c crushed seasoned stuffing
1 T low fat margarine, melted
¼ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put broccoli in an 8 inch square baking dish sprayed with Pam. Mix soup and juice and pour over the broccoli then mix stuffing crumbs and margarine and sprinkle over the casserole. Cover and bake 30 minutes then uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.