Salisbury Steak

June 24, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a favorite of frozen dinner makers and I still remember the taste of good old Swanson TV Dinner Salisbury Steak. This one is much better ! The recipe is easy to make and gives you a great result time in and time out. Try serving with 1/2 c mashed potatoes and some Roasted Grape Tomatoes and you meal comes in under 400 calories !

4 servings
266 calories per serving

½ c skim milk
14 fat free saltines, crushed
2 T dried minced onions
2 t parsley flakes
1 lb. lean ground beef
12 oz. fat free beef gravy
2 T ketchup
2 t Worcestershire sauce
¼ t pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, crackers, onion, and parsley and then add the meat and make into 4 oval patties and place in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Whisk gravy, ketchup , Worcestershire and pepper and pour over the meat and cook 55 minutes or until meat is done.

Chicken, Dinner, Pasta, Vegetables

Chicken and Veggies with Orzo

June 24, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This meal as just the right amount of each ingredient and everything tasted great. To save yourself time, use the pre-cut carrots and zucchini available at your grocer !

4 servings
380 calories per serving

1 c uncooked orzo
½ c chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
2 t cornstarch
2 T oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (3/4 lb.) cut in half lengthwise and then cut in thin strips
2 cloves garlic minced
½ t salt
1 c julienne cut carrots
1 yellow bell pepper cut into thin strips
2 c julienne cut zucchini

Cook orzo according to package instructions. Combine broth, juice and cornstarch and mix well. Heat 1 T oil and cook chicken, garlic and salt 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink then remove from skillet and keep warm. Heat 1 T oil and cook carrots and bell pepper 3 minutes then add zucchini and cook another 3 minutes. Stir the broth mix until smooth and then add to the skillet and cook 2 minutes or until thickened then add orzo and chicken and heat through.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Snacks, Summer

Sun Tea Pops

June 23, 2010 admin Leave a comment

What a great ice pop ! Sweet and flavorful and so refreshing. Pops make a great snack or dessert.

6 servings (8 oz. pops)
44 calories per serving

1 c Splenda
2 peaches cut into wedges (skins still on)
1 lime, peeled and sliced
1 lemon, peeled, seeded and sliced
6 mint leaves
8 tea bags – orange pekoe black tea (this is just your standard Lipton, etc. tea bag)
2 c water
2 c cold water

Bring water to simmer in a sauce pan and dissolve Splenda – when all dissolved remove from heat and stir in 2 c cold water and then let sit 10 minutes. Pour sugar water into a glass bowl and add peaches, lemons, limes and mint then add the tea bags, cover and place out in the sun for 3-5 hours to get a nice sun brewed tea. Remove tea bags and divide mint and peaches into molds then pour in the tea (discard the lemon and lime), insert sticks and freeze 6 hours.

400 Calorie Meals - the plan

Zero Deprivation Diet

June 22, 2010 admin Leave a comment

I’ve been on this ‘diet’ for quite some time now – and I have to say that there is really ZERO DEPRIVATION involved. I have eaten EVERYTHING – butter, cream, chocolate, cheese, breads, pizza, beef, fried foods….and the list goes on.

This really is not a diet for me anymore – it is a way of life and eating 400 calorie portions just means eating things in moderation. I crave nothing because I get it all. I don’t make every meal a heavier one. But with some of them, I pack the 400 calories with ingredients that are just going to make it TASTE rich and decadent. Other meals I get more bang for my calorie buck by serving lots of veggies, fruits, fish, grilled chicken – all the things you expect to see when eating healthy. It’s a balancing act – but well worth the effort because I can eat things like you see here on my blog…

And so can you – and you can lose weight while doing it !

Here are some GRAND, RICH, DECADENT, DELICIOUS foods that make sure you are not feeling deprived:

Eggs and Corned Beef Hash
Banana Pancakes
Elvis’ French Toast

Toasted Clubs
Monte Cristo
Pesto and Mozzarella
Grilled Cheese
Greek BLT
Hot Dog
Homemade Hot Pockets
Pita Pepperoni Pizza
Cheeseburgers
Sloppy Joes
Grilled Cheese and Tomato

Stuffed Shells Florentine
Lasagna
Coffee and Steak
Meatloaf
Pork Souvlaki
Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Braised Pork with Cream Sauce
Cuban Beef
Pasta with Lentils
Beef and Tomatoes

Egg Rolls
Homemade Lo Mein
Fried Rice
Home Fries
Macaroni and Cheese
Garlicky Oven Fries
Pepper Muffins
Cheesy Spirals
Potato Skins

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Key Lime Pie
Cinnamon Rolls
Soft Serve Vanilla Ice Cream
Dulche de Leche Rice Pudding
Coconut Fudgies
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Brownie Cake

Dinner, Fish

Sauteed Shrimp with Arugula

June 21, 2010 admin Leave a comment

What an excellent meal ! The bitter arugula offset the sweet tomatoes and shrimp just perfectly. And at 144 calories per serving – – EAT UP 🙂

4 servings
144 calories per serving

1 T plus 1 t oil
1 c grape tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
4 oz. baby arugula (4 c)
Coarse salt and pepper
1 T lemon juice

Heat oil and add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes then add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until almost done, about 4 minutes. Add arugula, salt and pepper and toss until the arugula wilts some. Finally add lemon juice, toss, and serve.

Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Snacks

Bacon and Cheese Muffin

June 21, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is basically an eggless version of a great breakfast sandwich. This is so satisfying when you need something bacony and cheesy !

1 serving
245 calories per serving

1 light whole wheat muffin (100 calories)
6 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
2 slices fat free Kraft singles
3 slices turkey bacon

Cook the bacon according to package instructions. Toast the muffin and when done, immediately spray each half with butter spray and place the cheese slices on so they get melty. Top with the cooked bacon and eat open faced or make a sandwich.

Lunch, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Portobello Burger

June 20, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a great, hearty sandwich that fills you up and contains no high calorie meat. Sometimes when you get these in a restaurant, they have the same calorie content as having a burger (sometimes they are done in tons of oil or butter). But this version keeps the oil to a minimum and adds a nice amount of cheesy goodness to the sandwich.

1 serving
299 calories per serving

1 large portobello mushroom cap, stem removed
1 t oil
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
¼ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1 100 calorie Arnold Select Sandwich Thins bun
1 t buttery spread
Garlic powder to taste
1 large onion slice
1 large tomato slice
Lettuce leaves
Pam

Coat mushroom with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cayenne. Spray skillet and heat to medium high. Place mushroom in the pan rounded side up. Cook 5 minutes. Flip. Sprinkle with garlic powder, top with cheese and cook another 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast bun and spread butter on it. Place mushroom on bun and top with tomato, onion and lettuce.

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie

June 19, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This tastes just like a Peanut Butter Silk pie that a restaurant around here used to serve. When the restaurant closed, we all mourned the loss of the pie ! But now I’ve found just the right mixture of ingredients to reproduce it ! It’s a little high in calorie count for a dessert, but it is sooooooooooooo worth it, so save it for a splurge day and dig in 🙂

8 servings
380 calories per serving

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c sugar
¼ c creamy peanut butter
2 c cool whip, thawed
1 oreo pie crust
¼ c hot fudge topping, warmed

Beat cream cheese with sugar and peanut butter and then whisk in cool whip. Spoon into crust and drizzle with topping and gently swirl with a knife. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Dinner, Italian, Sides, Vegetables

Roasted Peppers and Garlic

June 18, 2010 admin Leave a comment

When you roast peppers, you make them ultimately sweet and bring out tons of natural flavor. When paired up with some simple oil, garlic, and seasoning, you get quite a treat !

If you only have one color pepper, don’t let that hold you back from roasting them up. In the line up of most sweet to least sweet, you have the red, orange, yellow and green bell pepper. All have a very distinct flavor and all are delicious ! I add a bunch more garlic to these than the recipe calls for – just because 🙂

4 servings
97 calories per serving

1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
2 T oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ t oregano flakes
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
Handful of basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds. Place cut side up on a cookie sheet and drizzle with oil. Add garlic slices to pepper halves along with oregano, salt and pepper. Roast 35 minutes or so (or until skin starts to blister) and then remove from oven and sprinkle with a handful of fresh torn basil leaves.

Breakfast, Lunch, Sandwiches

Open Faced Egg and Bacon Sandwich

June 17, 2010 admin 1 Comment

This is a great take on a bacon and egg sandwich – the addition of the mustard and mayo give it a great extra zing and the watercress adds a great dimension not usually found in a sandwich like this.

1 serving
297 calories per serving

Bottom half of a hoagie roll
1 t whole grain mustard
1 t light mayonnaise
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 egg, cooked over easy in a skillet sprayed with Pam
1 handful watercress, stems removed
Coarse salt
Pepper

Spread roll with mustard and mayo and then layer with bacon, watercress and egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve open faced.

400 Calories or Less

Monthly Archives: June 2010