Brie is just meant to go with fruit – the sweet fruit and the oaky brie just go so well together. This makes a great appetizer, breakfast, lunch or dessert. The melted brie is just divine !
Fruit and Cheese Quesadillas
6 servings
177 calories per serving
2 T honey
2 t lime juice
½ t grated lime rind
1 c peaches, peeled and sliced thinly
1 ½ Splenda brown sugar blend
3 oz. Brie, thinly sliced
6 6 inch fat free flour tortillas (80 calories each)
Pam
Stir together honey, juice and zest. Mix peaches and sugar and divide evenly into each tortilla. Add ½ oz. cheese to each. Fold over and place in a hot pan sprayed with Pam. Cook 2 minutes then flip over and cook another 2 minutes.
This is a great healthy side salad that is sure to please. It’s nice to find *different* sides and this is definitely one of them !
Barley Salad
6 servings
189 calories per serving
3/4 c barley, uncooked
1 ½ c frozen corn, thawed and roasted
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 c zesty fat free Italian dressing
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T lime juice
Pam
Preheat broiler. To roast corn, spray a baking sheet with Pam and place corn on sheet. Broil 3-4 minutes or until it begins to blacken. Cook barley as directed. Spray a baking dish with Pam and roast corn 5-10 minutes or until starting to blacken. Let cool. Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate one hour so flavors mingle.
Chili / Lime is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Put it on just about anything and you get a smile from me 🙂 Add it to shrimp for a quick dinner that tastes anything but quick !
Chili Lime Shrimp
4 servings
186 calories per serving
Pam
¾ cup scallions, chopped
1 ½ lb. raw peeled cleaned shrimp
1 t chili powder
2 T lime juice
2 T buttery spread
½ t salt
1/ t garlic powder
Heat a skillet and spray it with Pam. Add ½ c scallions and cook 1 minute. Add 1 T hot water if needed to keep the scallions from getting dry. Add shrimp and spices and cook 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in juice and spread. Garnish with the remaining scallions.
Creamy goodness all wrapped up in a yummy tortilla. Get your MUFA for the day and smile while you do it 😉 This tastes much like yummy guacamole; just a bit milder, but perfect for a lunch tortilla.
Avocado Tacos
6 servings
290 calories per serving
12 6 inch tortillas
3 avocados, mashed
1/4 t garlic salt
¾ c chopped cilantro
Pepper to taste
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
12 tomato slices
Lime juice
Mix avocados, garlic, pepper, Tabasco and cilantro. Spread the mixture in each tortilla and add 2 tomato slices. Squirt with lime, fold and eat.
Basil is in the mint family – don’t let its addition to a dessert throw you – but if you can’t get past it, then just substitute mint instead. But whatever you do, don’t skip this recipe – it is a FANTASTIC summer dessert.
Lime Basil Sorbet
8 servings
220 calories per serving
1 ½ c sugar
2 c lime juice (about 20 small limes)
½ c light corn syrup
¾ c basil leaves, chopped
2 c water
1 T grated lime zest
Mix sugar, 1 c juice and syrup and cook for 2 minutes to melt sugar then add the basil or mint and remove from heat. Pour into a metal bowl (mixture will cool quicker) and add rest of the juice, water and the zest. Cover and chill completely. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions then move to your freezer for an hour or so. If you don’t eat it right away, then defrost 10 minutes or so before eating.
My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.
Curried Cucs and Avocado
3 servings
106 calories per serving
1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced
Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.
Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.
The layer of graham cracker in this one really makes it taste like a slice of key lime pie – awesome !
Key Lime Pops
6 servings
83 calories per serving
1 c skim milk
¼ c sweetened condensed milk
¼ c key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 T clover honey
¼ c crumbled graham crackers (optional)
Lime slices (optional)
Whisk all ingredients. If you want to place a lime slice along the side of the mold, do so. Then pour in ingredients and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). If you want to use layers of graham cracker (like a graham cracker crust on a pie), then let a layer of lime freeze all the way – then add a layer of the graham crumbs and pack them down before adding more base liquid.
This has such a burst of lime flavor ! Your tastebuds really dance when you enjoy this parfait. At only 125 calories – have 2 🙂
Key Lime Parfait
8 servings
125 calories per serving
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
½ c confectioner’s sugar
½ c low fat sour cream
½ t grated lime zest
½ c bottled or fresh key lime juice
Pour the milk in a bowl and place in the freezer for about an hour, or until crystals begin to form. In a glass measuring cup, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ c cold water and let stand 5minutes then place the cup in a pan of simmer water and heat 4-5 minutes or until gelatin has dissolved and then cool it to room temperature.
Beat the milk until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the sour cream and lime zest and then the cooled gelatin mix. Place bowl in refrigerator and chill ½ hour or so then fold the juice into the milk mixture and place into parfait glasses and chill another 2 hours.
This was so super delicious ! It rivals any restaurant soup out there ! I made it without the cheese and it was so incredibly tasty that you did not miss it at all.
Salsa Black Bean Soup
4 servings
213 calories
1 t oil
1 T minced garlic
2 c water
1/2 t chipotle chile powder or 3 t chipotle sauce
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle salsa
1 T lime juice
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Heat oil and sauté garlic 1 minute. Stir in water, chipotle, beans and salsa. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove 2 c of the mix and put in a blender and puree. Then put back in the pan and simmer 15 minutes. Then add the juice and cilantro and simmer 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.
Check out the online cookbook, Keep the Beat ™ (available in pdf format) for some great ideas for healthful food that kids will eat and they will enjoy preparing with you. Kids learn by example – show them how good healthy food can be !!!
This is a great combination of an empanada and a pita – the recipe is fun to make and is a great healthy alternative to traditionally fried empanadas. You can easily change this up and use leftover pork or turkey instead. And you can even make it a bit more authentic by adding some sofrito to the mix. This was a great meal !
Empanapita
4 servings
373 calories per serving
2 6½-inch whole wheat pitas
1 c Tangy Salsa (see recipe below – or you can sub a store bought salsa)
For filling:
2 c canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed
2 c frozen broccoli, corn, and pepper vegetable mix, thawed
2 c grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
½ c shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ c sofrito tomato cooking base (in the Goya section of your market) – optional
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T scallions, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
For Tangy Salsa (22 calories per serving):
½ c jarred roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
½ c no-salt-added diced tomatoes (or substitute 1 medium tomato, chopped)
1 small lime, peeled and cut into small chunks
¼ t ground black pepper
¼ t ground cumin
1 T fresh cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Tangy Salsa
Preheat oven to 400 ºF. Combine beans, vegetables, chicken, cheese, sofrito and seasonings. Mix well.
Cut pitas in half, and open the pockets. Divide filling evenly between the four and place on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is hot, cheese melts, and chicken is reheated. You can make these a bit ahead of time and heat when ready – this makes it a great recipe for when you are having guests.
For salsa, combine all ingredients and toss well (it is best if you make this ahead and let sit an hour or 20 so let the flavors mingle). Serve each empanapita with ¼ cup of Tangy Salsa.
Don’t skimp on the salsa – it really makes the meal ! I added ¼ c lime juice, 1 T sliced scallions, salt and pepper and omitted the roasted red peppers. The lime pieces add such a nice fresh flavor !!
