So different from your typical stuffed pepper – this is a great vegetarian recipe. These make a great dinner with a side salad. Or serve half a portion (1/2 a pepper) as a side.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

4 servings
324 calories per serving

4 yellow bell peppers
1/2 c orzo
15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Pam
1 large shallot, chopped
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped coarsely
1 t oregano flakes
1 t garlic powder
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
½ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, (dehydrated, not the ones in oil), chopped
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Leave the stems on. Clean out the insides (seeds and membranes) and set aside. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Saute shallot for 3 minutes adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if they start to dry out. Take ¾’s of the chickpeas and roughly mash them. Add spinach to shallots and cook another minute. Add orzo, chickpeas, oregano, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and heat through. Add cheese and vinegar and stir well. Spoon mix into the pepper shells. Spray a baking dish with Pam and place peppers in pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover and bake 30 minutes.

Perfect next to grilled fish, grilled chicken, burgers – - this corn salsa is so easy to put together and so refreshing on a hot summer night.

Corn Salsa

4 servings
105 calories per serving

1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 c frozen corn kernels, thawed (you can use canned, but the frozen tastes fresher)
½ can diced tomatoes, drained
2 T chopped cilantro
3 T lime juice
1/2 t cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all and serve immediately.

I’m so very pleased to announce the 400 Calorie or Less App and eBooks ! The eBooks are now available for the Nook and the Kindle. There are 4 eBooks and they each host 40+ recipes to help you lose weight while eating the foods you love and crave. The iOS App is all-in-one and is free to try, so get it while it’s hot !!

400 Calorie or Less eBooks

Kid Friendly Cookbook

In the Kid Friendly Cookbook, you’ll learn low calories variations to kid friendly classics such as recipes for sloppy joes, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken bakes and fettuccine alfredo.

Summer Fun Cookbook

In the Summer Fun Cookbook, you’ll find recipes for grilling favorites, salads, sweets, and delicious drinks that are perfect for summer. Whether you’re planning to relax by the pool, host a party, or have a picnic, the Summer Fun cookbook has you covered.

Around the World Cookbook

In the Around the World Cookbook, travel the world without leaving your kitchen – or losing track of calories with recipes influenced by Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Italian and American cuisines.

Holiday Recipe Cookbook

This next holiday, there’s no need to add another notch in your belt. In the Holidays Recipe Cookbook, you will find healthy adaptations of classic holiday recipes fit for entertaining and satisfying the most indulgent guests.

Use this link to find out more information and to get your copy.

Thanks for all your support and I hope you enjoy the publications.

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A little of this, a little of that – all on a roll … and you get a sub sandwich. This is a great mixed meat sub that is filling and a great take a long lunch.

Sub Sandwich

1 serving
394 calories per serving

1 small Club roll
1 T low fat mayonnaise
1 T mustard
½ c chopped lettuce
2 slices tomato
4 slices thin deli roast turkey (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
4 thin slices deli ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slices low fat swiss cheese

Mix mustard and mayo and spread on the inside of both sides of the roll. Place all meats and cheese on roll and top with lettuce and tomato.

Kraft has so many great dressing out there – as well as using them on their own, they make GREAT to use as ingredients in other dressings, sauces, marinades, etc. This salad is a Kraft recipe and it was so good !

Avocado and Spinach Salad

2 servings
250 calories per serving

1/2 c sliced avocados
3 T mandarin orange juice
2 t lemon juice
3 c baby spinach leaves
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (reserve 3 T juice / rinse the oranges in cold water)
1/4 c Kraft Catalina dressing (sweet French dressing)
2 T pecans (or other nuts), toasted
To toast nuts, heat a skillet on medium high then add nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until the heat brings out the flavors, about 2-3 minutes (when you smell the great aroma, they are just about done).

Mix dressing,. Lemon juice and orange juice. Pour over spinach, oranges and avocados. Garnish with nuts.

Tandoori Chicken is an Indian dish with so much flavor. Though it is not cooked in a tandor as you would for authentic Tandoori chicken, this recipe is pretty darned good !

Tandoori Chicken

4 servings
152 calories per serving

1 ½ c plain low fat Greek yogurt
2 T grated onion (grate it just like you would a hunk of cheddar cheese)
1 T grated ginger
1 T vegetable oil
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground red pepper
1/4 t ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 t salt
Pam

Mix the yogurt and spices in a Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and seal and marinate in the frig for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and roast ½ hour. Turn on the broiler and cook 5 minutes or so to crisp it up.

This dish is a cross between lasagna and eggplant rollatini (which is a dish often served as an appetizer and is eggplant rolled up around ricotta cheese and topped with pasta sauce – yum!). In this recipe, instead of rolling it up, I have layered it in a baking dish much like a lasagna would be made. The results – a skinny lasagna full of yummy cheese.

Skinny Eggplant Lasagna

9 servings
142 calories per serving

2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin slices (1/4 inch thick)
1 jar (26.5 oz.) pasta sauce (I used Hunts Pasta Sauce for this dish)
1 ½ c fat free ricotta cheese
2 c fat free cottage cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
1 T chopped basil
2 t chopped parsley
4 T parmesan cheese
½ c fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread ½ c or so of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Mix cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 2 T parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and parsley. Layer 1/3 of the eggplant slices to fully cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then spread half of the cheese mix on top of the eggplant slices. Cover with ¾ c of sauce then layer the next third of eggplant slices to cover the whole dish. Add the rest of the cheese mix and then another ¾ c of sauce. Finally add the last third of the eggplant slices to make the top. Spread the rest of the sauce over the top and then sprinkle with 2 T parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover and spread the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake another 10 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Prime rib is definitely not a low cal meat – but either in very small portions or having it on cheat day, I just gotta do it every so often. It has a flavor unlike any other cut of beef.

Prime Rib Roast

3 oz. serving = 250 calories

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub liberal amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder onto all sides of the roast. Place in a roasting pan and cook 20 minutes per pound for medium. Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

This dish is great served warm or chilled. I use this as the ‘surf’ portion for my Skinny Surf and Turf – it is so flavorful and fresh ! Shrimp is so low cal – it makes a perfect dinner.

Lemon Shrimp

6 servings
146 calories per serving

3 T minced garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/4 lb. cooked shrimp

Heat skillet and add oil. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and parsley and heat 1 minute. Stir in shrimp and cook 1 minute to heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.

My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.

Curried Cucs and Avocado

3 servings
106 calories per serving

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced

Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.