This makes a great breakfast, brunch or lunch. Try changing it up a little by switching green olives for black, fresh tomato for sundried, etc.

Mediterranean Muffin

1 serving
360 calories per serving

1 light whole wheat English muffin
1 Babybel cheese, sliced into thin rounds
2 slices turkey bacon
5 sundried tomato strips
2 T chopped black olives
4 very thin slices cucumber
1 Romaine lettuce leaf

Cook bacon according to package instructions. Toast muffin. While still hot, place cheese slices on bottom half. Then add bacon, tomatoes, olives, cucumber, lettuce and top with the other half of the muffin.

I would not classify these with Gramma’s version – much like when you are eating a bran muffin vs. eating a gooey chocolate muffin, you know this cookie is more nutritious than sweet and buttery. But it does have CHOCOLATE…and butter…and is sweet, so it does satisfy the cookie craving !

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

48 servings
89 calories per serving

1 ½ c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 c quick oats
1 c light butter
½ c Splenda brown sugar blend
1 c Splenda
½ c Egg Beaters
1 ½ t vanilla
1 c chocolate chips

Blend butter and sugars until they are creamy. Add egg and vanilla and blend. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. Then by hand, stir in the oats and the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 48 cookies.

Carrots never tasted so fresh ! The combination of ingredients gives this dish a really flavorful punch. Definitely not the same old boring vegetable !

Ginger Carrots

4 servings
61 calories per serving

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrot chips
1 T buttery spread
1 t minced fresh ginger (bottled is OK if you do not have fresh)
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t salt

Steam carrots 8 minutes or until tender. A simple steamer basket is the easiest way to steam vegetables. I use one like this:

Heat butter in a skillet. Add garlic and ginger to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in steamed carrots, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately.

To quickly zest citrus, try this handy tool I found at Amazon:

This sooooo takes the place of a regular grilled cheese – not quite your local diner fare, but very satisfying. It is tasty and fat free cheese slices do not taste like cardboard like they did 10 years ago. They are creamy and cheesy and this is an awesome sandwich.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

1 serving
140 calories for the sandwich
100 calories for the soup

2 slices 45 calorie bread
2 slices Kraft fat free slices American cheese
20 sprays of ICBINB (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)
Pam

Tomato Soup – approximately 1 cup = 100 calories for several brands in the carton. And to me, the soups in the carton are much better than the canned ones. I swear I can taste the can when I eat some brands

Spray pan with Pam and heat – make sure pan is good and hot on medium high heat. Make sandwich of the bread and cheese. Spray outsides of the sandwich with 5 sprays each of ICBINB. Place in pan and cook 1-2 minutes or so each side or until brown and cheese is melted. Meanwhile heat the soup in a pot and ladle into a mug.

I love stuffed cabbage, but it is a major undertaking when you are rolling them all individually. Get the same taste with so much less effort with this great ‘Lazy’ recipe. Here you just make a casserole with layers of all the ingredients and it cuts the prep time down incredibly.

Lazy Man's Stuffed Cabbage

4 servings
394 calories per serving

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked brown minute rice
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c ketchup in mix and 1/2 c for top of casserole
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced
Couple of drops of smoked flavoring (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t onion powder
Pam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Brown meat and onion in a skillet. Drain well. Cut cabbage into small shreds (not so small as coleslaw cabbage, just smallish slices). Add tomatoes, ketchup, smoked flavor, salt, pepper, onion powder and rice to meat. Simmer 2 minutes. If rice needs more water to soak up, add it (last time I made it, it needed about ½ cup added) . Place a layer of cabbage in a large baking pan sprayed with Pam. Cover with a layer of the meat mix. Repeat with a layer of cabbage. Add extra ketchup to the top layer. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cabbage is tender.

So easy, so simple. Mexican grilled cheese !

Mushroom and Cheese Quesadilla

1 serving
202 calories per serving

1 whole wheat tortilla (80 calorie version)
1/4 c salsa
1/2 c chopped mushrooms
1/4 c fat free shredded cheddar cheese
2 T low fat sour cream

Sprinkle the mushrooms and cheese on half the tortilla. Fold over and place in a heated skillet. Cook 2 min. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Easy, quick, highly nutritious and very filling ! Cashew or almond butter work well here too.

1 serving
385 calories per serving

2 frozen waffles (light / low fat)
2 T peanut butter
1/4 c banana slices

Toast waffles and spread 1 T peanut butter on each. Top with the sliced banana.

It is sooooo worth finding these noodles and making this dish. It is authentic, satisfying , soooo low cal considering the big portion you get and it is truly delicious.

Homemade Lo Mein

4 servings
212 calories per serving

2 8 oz. packages of House Tofu Shiratake Noodles (available in most food markets and definitely in Asian markets. You’ll find them with the tofu products – SO LOW cal and so noodly!)
4 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 T green onions, sliced
1 c celery, sliced thinly
2 c carrots, shredded (buy them pre-shredded to save time)
3 T teriyaki sauce
3 T Kraft Asian Sesame Dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare noodles according to package instructions (rinse, microwave 1 minute, dry on a paper towel). Cut the noodles into 3 or 4 inch lengths. Using a pair of kitchen scissors makes this task easy. Heat oil in a non stick pan. On medium high, cook garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Cook 5 -7 minutes, until veggies are soft. Stir in noodles and press into a flat layer. Cook 3 minutes on high heat. Add the teriyaki and dressing and mix well. Cook 3-4 minutes longer on medium high heat.

This sweet shrimp dish is best served with another Asian inspired dish, I choose to pair it with my Homemade Lo Mein. It cooks in just minutes and definitely is kid friendly with the sweet sauce. Just leave out the red pepper flakes if serving to young ones.

Asian Shrimp

4 servings
239 calories per serving

1 T dark sesame oil
2 t minced garlic
4 scallions, sliced
1 lb. medium sized shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails off
1/4 c water
2 T soy sauce
4 t cornstarch
2 t red pepper flakes
2 t Splenda brown sugar
4 t toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cool 6 minutes or until shrimp is just about done. While the shrimp cooks, combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper and sugar. Pour over shrimp in skillet and cook 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

This has a lot of flavor and is a great lunch salad. You don’t even realize you’re eating lettuce And it even fills up my husband ! If you don’t like black beans, substitute kidney or white beans.

Santa Fe Bean Salad

4 servings
305 calories per serving

1/3 c salsa
3 T low fat sour cream
1 T cider vinegar
15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 c corn
1/2 c diced avocado
1/4 c chopped cilantro
6 c chopped romaine
2 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
24 baked tortilla chips

Stir together salsa, sour cream and vinegar to make sauce. Combine the beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado and cilantro with the sauce. Divide lettuce and place on plates. Top with 1/2 c of the bean mix. Sprinkle with cheese. Place 6 chips around each plate and serve.