Rustic Chicken Soup

January 4, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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 🙂

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.

FiberGourmet, Lunch, Sides

Macaroni and Cheese

January 3, 2010 admin 2 Comments

This is rich and creamy and almost ½ the calories of regular mac and cheese due to the Laughing Cow Light cheese and the FiberGourmet pasta ! I really suggest you try some – you’ll never know the difference !

2 servings
290 calories per serving

6 oz. FiberGourmet Pasta
4 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (I use original flavor, but any of the 3 will work)
2 T skim milk
2 T hot water
2 T shredded 2% milk cheddar cheese
6 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ t onion powder

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in a bowl with all other ingredients. Stir to mix well. Enjoy !!!

Appetizers, Sides, Vegetables

Stuffed Mushrooms

January 3, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Great to bring along to a party !

4 servings
121 calories per serving (4 mushrooms)

16 medium sized button mushrooms, stems removed, but reserved
1 c crumbled goat cheese
4 T chopped flat leaf parsley
16 pieces of sundried tomato packed in oil, drained
1 t cayenne pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with Pam.

Mince the reserved mushroom stems (food processor works great) and place in a bowl with cheese, parsley and cayenne pepper. Mix and set aside. Place caps in the prepared pan and lightly spray the tops with Pam. Fill each cap with the cheese mixture and then top each with a sundried tomato strip. Bake 15 minutes.

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Banana Bread

January 2, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a much healthier version than my Grandma’s banana bread recipe. But I tell you, it tastes just a good! And one slice is very satisfying. If you remove the chocolate chips from the recipe, you bring it down to 140 calories per serving !

8 servings (one loaf cut into 1/8’s)
175 calories per serving

1 ¼ c whole wheat flour
¼ c flour
¾ c Splenda
1 ½ c mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
½ c egg beaters
½ c no sugar added applesauce
2 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
½ t cinnamon
½ t salt
4 T semi sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flours, Splenda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Combine banana, Egg Beaters, applesauce and vanilla. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and with a wooden spoon, stir until just blended. Pour into a loaf pan (ungreased) and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and then remove from pan.

Salads, Vegetables

Spinach Salad

December 31, 2009 admin 1 Comment

This one is high in calories as salads go – but I can’t skimp on the egg or bacon or it just does not feel like a TRUE spinach salad to me. So I pair it with some really low cal seafood like Cajun Seafood Mix and it makes a great meal.

1 serving
250 calories per serving

2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 hardboiled egg, sliced
3 sliced bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 T fat free thousand island dressing

Lay spinach on a plate. Top with egg, bacon and mushrooms. Spoon dressing over the salad.

Cajun, Dinner, Fish

Cajun Seafood Mix

December 31, 2009 admin 1 Comment

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.

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.

Beef, Dinner

Beef and Black Bean Stew

December 30, 2009 admin Leave a comment

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.

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.

Chicken, Dinner

Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken

December 29, 2009 admin 2 Comments

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.

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.

Italian, Kid Friendly, Pasta, Sides

Rice and Pasta with Parmesan Cheese

December 29, 2009 admin 3 Comments

Tasty, Tasty, Tasty ! This beats the pants off a 300+ calorie serving of Rice a Roni. Serve with Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken for a great complete meal under 400 calories.

6 servings
166 calories per serving (serving = 2/3 cup)

2 T oil
½ c vermicelli broken into very small pieces
1 c white rice
1 ¼ c hot vegetable or chicken stock or broth (Emeril’s is great !)
¼ t pepper
Salt to taste
2 bay leaves
1 t parsley flakes
2 T parmesan or romano cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add vermicelli and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add in rice, broth and water along with salt and pepper, bay leaves and parsley. Cover and simmer on medium low 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and let stand covered 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Sides, Vegetables

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic

December 29, 2009 admin 2 Comments

This literally takes 5 minutes to cook and just a couple to prepare, especially if you have a handy dandy garlic chopper.

Garlic chopper

The spinach wilts in no time and you can make this as mild or as spicy as you wish by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes. Serve with Rice and Pasta with Parmesan Cheese and Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken for a great complete meal under 400 calories.

3 servings
58 calories per serving

2 t olive oil
Pam
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bags prewashed baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ t red pepper flakes
¼ t garlic powder

Heat the Pam and oil in a large skillet. Stir in minced garlic and sauté a minute or two on medium heat. Do not let the garlic brown or it will taste bitter. Pour in the 2 bags of spinach. It seems like a HUGE amount, but it will cook down to nothing in no time. Add all the spices and continue to sauté on medium heat, 2-3 minutes or until leaves are all wilted.