Italian Rice Salad

December 14, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This salad uses the artichoke marinade as the main ingredient in the dressing to it’s a snap to throw together. If you have fresh herbs on hand, thrown in a few tablespoons for added flavor. This side dish is perfect next to just about anything.

6 servings
192 calories per serving

6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, liquid reserved
2 T lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3 c cooked white rice, chilled
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. can pitted black olives, drained
Pam

Mix the artichoke marinade with the lemon juice, 1 t garlic, salt and pepper. Spray a sauté pan with Pam and cook 3 cloves minced garlic for 1 minute or until golden and fragrant. Mix artichokes, rice, tomatoes, garlic and olives and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Appetizers, Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Zesty Zucchini and Parm

December 13, 2011 admin Leave a comment

These make a perfect appetizer or even a great side dish – this is a great recipe to use up all those garden zucchini !

2 servings
101 calories per serving

1 t oil
2 zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
Pam

Preheat broiler. Spray baking sheet with Pam and lay zucchini rounds down in a single layer. Sprinkle with red pepper, salt, pepper and cheese. Broil 5-6 minutes until cheese is browned.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer, Tex Mex

Southwest Sirloin

December 11, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This simple sauce turns out a spicy, smoky, sirloin. Try it on chicken or pork as well !

4 servings
265 calories per serving

1 lb. sirloin steak
2 t oil
1 ½ T taco seasoning
1/3 c steak sauce

Heat grill. Run steak with oil and then coat with taco seasoning. Grill steak basting with steak sauce as you go. Cook to desired doneness. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

Cajun, Dinner, Fish

Louisiana White Fish

December 10, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The coating on the fish is so zesty and perfectly balanced that you don’t want to stop eating this. And at only 150 calories per serving, you CAN keep going ! Very satisfying with a big, bold flavor.

4 servings
150 calories per serving

2 t oil
2 t Dijon mustard
½ t salt
½ t cajun spice (or more depending on your tastebuds)
4 6 oz. 1 inch thick fillets of cod, tilapia or other whitefish
Pam
1 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix oil, mustard, salt and spice and brush onto fish fillets. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Place fish on sheet and bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes and is done. Sprinkle lemon
juice on fish and serve immediately.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Soups

Tuscan Chicken Soup

December 9, 2011 admin 1 Comment

Warm soup on a cold day; nothing could be better. This soup is a little bit pasta fagioli, a little bit chicken soup, a little bit minestrone and a little bit straccitella – it’s everything soup 🙂

6 servings
390 calories per serving

1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c coarsely chopped carrot
1 medium onion, chopped
13.25 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 c diced potatoes
2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained – take ½ c and mash them; leave the rest whole
4 cups fat free chicken broth
2 cups vegetable broth
1 c water
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t oregano flakes
1 t parsley flakes
3 c cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
10 oz. spinach
3 T chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter and oil in a soup pot – sauté onion 4 minutes. Add garlic, carrot, mushroom and potato and sauté another 7 minutes. Add broth, beans, mashed beans and seasoning and simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes. Add basil and spinach and cook another 3 minutes. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Appetizers, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides

Snacker Potato Balls

December 8, 2011 admin Leave a comment

These make a great snack, a perfect appetizer, or a wonderful dinner side dish. The shake and bake crumbs really give them a nice flavor through and through.

2 balls = 111 cals
Makes 24 balls

2 lb. baking potatoes (about 5), peeled and cut into chunks
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ c egg beaters
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. low fat velveeta, cut into 24 cubes
1 pouch Shake and Bake

Cook potatoes in boiling water 20-25 minutes or until tender then drain and cool for ½ hour. Mash them and add scallions, egg beaters, salt and pepper. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll potato mix into 24 balls (about 2 T each) inserting a cube of velveeta into each and making sure it is all sealed up in the middle. Sprinkle shake and bake on a baking sheet and place potato balls on sheet and turn so they get coated. Bake 16 minutes.

Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Vegetables

Celery and Cuc Salad

December 7, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Fresh from the garden ! A quick side salad of cucumbers and celery. Oh so good.

4 servings
38 calories per serving

4 celery stalks sliced thin
1 small-medium cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into very thin slices
1/3 c packed parsley leaves
3 t sherry vinegar
2 t oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a bowl and mix well.

Asian, Chicken, Dinner

Thai Chicken

December 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Just the right amount of heat, tons of flavor and a dish I will make again and again ! This authentic Thai Chicken recipe combines the sweetness of coconut milk sugar and ginger with the heat of hot chile sauce, onions and garlic and turns out a flavor popping meal.

4 servings
403 calories per serving

3.5 oz. bag boil-in-bag rice
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 T cornstarch
1 T fish sauce
4 t oil, divided
1 c sliced onion
2 t garlic, minced
1 t ginger, minced
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 t Sriracha (hot chile sauce available in the Asian section of your grocer)
1 T sugar
1 T fresh lime juice
2 T chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Cook rice according to package instructions and keep warm. Mix starch and fish sauce and then toss with chicken. Heat 1 T oil and sauté chicken 6-8 minutes them remove to a plate and keep warm. Add 1 t oil to pan and cook onion, and sauté 3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Put chicken back in the pan and cook 1 minute them add coconut milk, chile sauce, sugar and lime juice and cook a minute to heat through. Plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve with a lime slice.

Chicken, Lunch

Luncheon Chicken Salad

December 5, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Chicken salad served on a lettuce leaf and with pita wedges instead of on sandwich bread just makes it a whole different beast. And all the fresh flavors in this particular recipe renewed my love of chicken salad.

4 servings
382 calories per serving

2 c diced cooked chicken breast
1 1/4 c chopped seeded cucumber
1/2 c matchstick carrots
1/2 c sliced radishes
1/3 c chopped green onions
1/4 c light mayo
2 T chopped cilantro
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
4 romaine lettuce leaves
4 6 inch whole wheat pitas, cut into 4 pieces each

Mix chicken, cucs, carrots, radishes and green onions. Whisk together mayo, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Then mix that into the chicken and veggies. Place a lettuce leaf on each plate and top with 1 c chicken mixture. Serve with pita wedges.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Sauteed Escarole with White Beans

December 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I have a lot of recipes pairing white beans and escarole – but this one is just a bit more – this one adds extra veggies and the dish is totally different than plain old sautéed escarole. The creamy texture of the beans just goes great with the crisp zucchini and corn.

4 servings
210 calories per serving

2 heads escarole, rinsed well and chopped
2 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and cut into julienne strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c frozen corn kernels , thawed
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
Pam

Heat a large skillet and spray with Pam. Add escarole and cook 6 minutes to wilt. Remove and set aside. Cook bacon 2 minutes then add zucchini and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook 1 minutes. Add back the escarole then mix in parsley, beans, salt, pepper, garlic powder, vinegar and oil. Toss well and serve.

400 Calories or Less

Monthly Archives: December 2011