Tag Archives: garlic

Beef, Dinner, Instructional, Kid Friendly, Videos

Beef Rolls and Salad

March 6, 2010 admin 2 Comments

These beef rolls are like eating mini cheese steaks – so yummy ! Just look at the cheese dripping out the ends of the rolls !

4 servings
227 calories per serving

¾ pound braciola beef (thinly sliced top round) cut into 4 pieces lengthwise
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 oz. pepper jack cheese thinly sliced into 4 pieces
2 t oil
7 oz. Very Veggie salad mix
1 ½ t Sherry vinegar
1 T oil
1 onion halved and cut into thin slices
1 ½ yellow or orange bell peppers sliced very thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 T oil in a skillet on medium high heat and add onions, peppers and garlic. Saute 7-8 minutes and then add salt, pepper and 1/2 c water. Cover and lower heat and simmer 2 minutes or until dried out. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Season meat with salt and pepper. Put a piece of cheese and ¼ the onion mix into the center of a piece of meat. Roll up long ways and secure the seam with a toothpick or mini skewer woven in to keep the meat from opening while cooking. Heat a skillet to medium high and add 1 t oil. Place meat rolls in the pan and cook about 8 minutes browning all sides. Lower the heat if it browns to quickly as you want it to stay in the pan long enough for the cheese inside to get melty.

Toss lettuce with vinegar and 1 t oil and season it with salt and pepper. Serve next to the beef rolls. Remove toothpicks from beef before serving.

Here is a video to help show you how to roll these up !

Chicken, Dinner, Mediterranean

Eastern Fried Rice

March 4, 2010 admin 1 Comment

This version of fried rice is not your typical Chinese food fare. This is more of a Middle Eastern recipe and there are a wide range of BIG flavors in the recipe. But they mix well and become amazingly mellow.

6 servings
350 calories per serving

3 T oil
1 large onion, diced
6 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
1 lb. bok choy stems and leaves, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 t finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ c Egg Beaters
3 t curry powder
4 c cold cooked brown rice
3 T soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Heat 2 t oil in a large skillet on medium high heat and add onion and bacon. Cook 4 minutes and add bok choy and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Add pepper, ginger, garlic and cook until veggies are getting soft, about 5 minutes. Remove contents and set aside. Add 1 T oil of skillet and then cook chicken 5 minutes or until done. Set chicken aside. Spray skillet with Pam and when hot, add eggs and scramble. Add eggs to bowl with chicken. Add 1 T oil to skillet and cook curry powder 30 seconds and then add rice and cook without stirring until slightly crispy, about 4 minutes. Return all the other ingredients to the pan, add soy sauce, salt and pepper and heat 3 minutes.

Asian, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork

Hoisin Pork

February 20, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Hoisin sauce is available in your market’s Asian section – it is a sweet preparation that is used in many Asian dishes. This almost sounds too easy – but the results you get are phenomenal ! Out of all the ‘diet’ dishes I have been making over the months, this is the one I have made the most.

4 servings
228 calories per serving

1 lb. pork tenderloin
4 T hoisin sauce
3 T minced garlic
2 T ketchup
2 T water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all the ingredients in a zip loc bag and mush them all around to make sure the meat is evenly coated. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. You can also freeze the bag at this time and then defrost and use within a few weeks. Place meat on a wire rack and then place rack on a baking sheet (or you can just place directly on the baking sheet if you don’t have a rack). Squish out the rest of the sauce on top of the meat and then bake 1 hour.

Sides, Vegetables

Corn and Zucchini

February 17, 2010 admin Leave a comment

A very simple and different side dish – feel free to substitute fresh corn kernels.

4 servings
159 calories per serving

1 can corn
1 T oil
1 medium zucchini
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 t white vinegar

Heat oil over medium high heat. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and slice into half moons. Add zucchini and garlic to pan. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes then remove from heat and stir in vinegar and basil.

Beef, Dinner

New Beef Bourguignon

February 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Don’t tell Julia child that we are not using her recipe ! This is a time consuming recipe, but it is great for special occasions – it’s not just everyday that you get Beef Bourguignon 🙂

6 servings
344 calories per serving

2 1/2 t oil, divided
1 1/2 lb. lean beef stew meat
2 c sliced onions
2 c sliced carrots
1 c diced green bell pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
12 oz whole mushrooms, quartered
1 14 oz. can beef broth
1 1/2 c red wine (a Burgundy or Beaujolais is recommended)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
3 T flour
2 T butter, softened

To caramelize onions, heat a skillet on medium high heat and add 1 t oil than add onion slices and cook on medium high heat for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a bit if salt and pepper and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes, again, stirring frequently. You want the onions to become a nice golden color, but remain very moist. If they start to dry out in the first 7 minutes, reduce the heat a little. If they start to dry out during the covered cooking period, add a tablespoon or more of hot water and mix well.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven* to medium high heat. Blot meat on paper towels – it will brown much better the drier it is. Add beef and cook until brown. Remove from pot and set aside. Add carrot, mushrooms and green pepper to pot. Cook 4 minutes then add onions and cook another 2 minutes and then return beef to pot. Add tomatoes, broth, wine, garlic, tomato paste, bay, salt and pepper to pot. Mix well and cover and bring to a simmer and cook on low for 2 hours. Discard bay leaf. Combine flour and butter and mix well until it becomes all incorporated into a paste. Spoon 1/2 c of pan juices into the flour and whisk until very smooth. Then add back to pan and stir. Serve immediately.

*Dutch Oven – every kitchen needs a Dutch oven – some recipes just do not come out the same without one. It is a very heavy duty pot that allows you to cook things slowly for hours without burning the contents. From soups to stews to sauces, this is a kitchen must have. I don’t think you need a really pricey one (some come in at over $330 ! yeeks !) as I have an $80 version that has been treating me good for years and years.

Cajun, Chicken, Dinner

Bayou Chicken

February 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Simply Louisiana – that is the best way to describe this dish. If you don’t like okra, skip it – maybe add some green bell peppers instead. But if you want it authentic, be sure to add in the okra.

4 servings
234 calories per serving

2 T flour
1 1/4 t Cajun seasoning
3/4 lb. chicken tenders
2 t canola oil
1 1/2 c corn
1 1/2 c frozen okra, thawed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c fat free half and half
1/4 t salt
Pepper
3 scallions, sliced

Combine flour and 1/2 t Cajun seasoning in a zip loc bag and drop in the chicken. Seal the bag and shake well to coat all the chicken pieces. Heat 1 1/2 t oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and then add the corn, okra, tomato and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the half and half and the rest of the Cajun seasoning and simmer 1-2 minutes longer. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with scallions just before serving.

Dinner, Pork

Pork Tenderloin with Coffee Marinade

February 9, 2010 admin 1 Comment

Adding coffee to meat marinades gives them a special depth of flavor. This one is especially tasty !

4 servings
163 calories per serving

1 1/2 c cool strong brewed coffee
5 T molasses
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t salt
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 t black pepper
1 lb. pork tenderloin
Pam

Combine first 6 ingredients in a zip loc and add pork to marinate it in the refrigerator for 8 hours to over night. Heat grill and place pork on rack coated with Pam. Grill 15-20 minutes or until done. Let sit 5 minutes and then slice thinly. If it is not grilling season, heat oven to 350 degrees and cook pork 50 minutes or until desired doneness.

Crock pot, Dinner

No Meat Chili (Crock Pot)

February 8, 2010 admin Leave a comment

It may have no meat, but it does not skimp on the flavor. And at only 240 calories for a heaping serving, it gets my full seal of approval ! The ingredient list is long, but don’t let it fool you – this comes together very quickly.

5 servings
240 calories per serving

1 large 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (with green chilies or garlic if you like)
1 small can zesty tomato sauce
3/4 c black beans
3/4 c kidney beans
1 4.25 oz. can jalapeno peppers, rinsed and diced
1 7 oz. can corn
1 1/2 c chopped onions
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 3/4 c chopped celery
1 13.25 oz. can button mushrooms (each mushroom halved)
2 T chili powder (or more !)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t cumin
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
¾ t oregano flakes
¾ t parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Put sauce, tomatoes, beans, corn, jalapenos, mushrooms, chili powder and cumin in crock pot. Add chili powder, Worcestershire and cumin and stir well.

Spray a skillet with Pam and bring to medium high heat. Saute bell peppers, onion, garlic and celery for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley and mix well. Then stir this mix into the crock with the tomato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours

You could skip the step of sauting the pepper and onion mix, but I feel the texture is a whole lot better if you don’t ! If you don’t have a crock pot, you can use a regular pot on the stove, just add the onion mix to the pot with the tomatoes, bring all to a boil, and then simmer partially covered for 1-2 hours.

Beef, Dinner

Spicy BBQ Beef

February 8, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Spice, beef, onions, garlic, peppers – – these are a few of my FAVORITE things !

4 servings
322 calories

1 green pepper cut in strips
1 yellow pepper cut in strips
1 red pepper cut in strips
1 small onion cut in strips
1 lb. leftover lean grilled London broil, cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 T soy sauce
1/2 c spicy BBQ sauce
Pam

Heat skillet to medium high. Remove from heat and spray with Pam. Return to heat and add onions. Cook until they are getting soft, about 5 minutes. Add up to ¼ c of very hot water if the onions get too dry and the pan needs some moisture. Add peppers and continue cooking 6 minutes. Again, add up to ¼ c very hot water if the peppers need more moisture. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Cook meat and garlic for a few minutes and then add the soy, salt, pepper and BBQ sauce. Heat for another minute or 2. Combine meat mix and veggie mix.

If you start with fresh London broil, just broil or grill it to desired doneness and then slice.

This dish is very filling and the first time I made it I had to keep looking back at the calorie count to make sure I did not mess up and include a regular recipe in with my new low cal recipes !

Kid Friendly, Sides

Lemon Garlic Potatoes

February 4, 2010 admin Leave a comment

These have a great fresh flavor and are very different from your typical potato recipes – the lemon really gives them a blast of unexpected flavor. If you’re pressed for time, try microwaving the potato cubes for 6 minutes or so – that will cut down the boiling time by half.

6 servings
103 calories per serving

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste

In a pot over medium heat, combine the potatoes and with enough water to cover them by 1″. Add salt. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan and add lemon juice, oil, garlic, and pepper to taste. Saute for 2 minutes to allow the garlic to cook some.