Category Archives: Sides

Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Broccoli Salad

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Pre cooking the broccoli and cauliflower change this up nicely from your typical salad where the veggies are served raw. With the dressing, this tasted much like a mild giardiniera.

Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad

4 servings
49 calories per serving

¾ c broccoli florets
¾ c cauliflower florets
½ c celery slices
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 T oil
3 T white vinegar
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder

Place broccoli and cauliflower in a dish with ¼ c water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave 4 minutes to soften a bit. Drain and add the pepper and celery. Mix the dressing and pour over the veggies and chill an hour or more to mix flavors.

Dinner, Lunch, Salads, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Zesty Coleslaw

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The mustard in the slaw is a nice unexpected flavor – it was not too much, just enough to be interesting without overpowering the dish. How can you beat coleslaw – only 45 calories per serving !

Zesty Coleslaw
Zesty Coleslaw

8 servings
45 calories per serving

8 c coarsely shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, grated
½ c fat free mayo
2 T white vinegar
2 T pineapple juice
3 T spicy brown mustard
1 ½ T sugar
1/8 t pepper
¼ t salt

Combine cabbage and carrot. In another bowl combine all the rest of the ingredients and then pour over the cabbage and toss well. Chill in the refrigerator.

Salads, Sides

Salad with Warm Brie Dressing

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The brie gives a nice flavor and texture to the dressing – nothing with brie can ever be bad ! 😉

Salad with Warm Brie Dressing
Salad with Warm Brie Dressing

4 servings
75 calories

2 heads Boston or Green Leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces
1 oz. brie or brie spread
½ c fat free Italian dressing (or any other vinegar based fat free dressing)

Place lettuce on individual plates. Cube the cheese. Microwave dressing 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated, then stir in cheese until melted and pour over lettuce.

Appetizers, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Cucumber Bites

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These cucumber bites make a great appetizer or side on a lunch platter.

Cucumber Bites
Cucumber Bites

4 servings
90 calories per serving

1/2 c shredded carrot
1/2 c 1/4 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Chive and Onions
2 cucumbers

Keep 2 T of carrots aside for garnish. Mix the rest of the carrots and cream cheese. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place cheese mix in cucumbers. Cut each half into 5 pieces. Top each piece with leftover carrots.

Salads, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Zucchini with Lemon and Cilantro

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This was great served warm and equally as good chilled. The lemon and cilantro flavorings are what make this a really tasty side salad.

Zucchini with Lemon and Cilantro
Zucchini with Lemon and Cilantro

4 servings
69 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. zucchini (about 3), cubed
1T oil
Coarse salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet and add the zucchini and toss then season with salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes letting cubes brown a bit. Add lemon juice and cilantro and mix well. Season with more salt and pepper and serve.

Appetizers, Kid Friendly, Sides, Snacks

Cheesy Spirals

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Don’t let the fact that there is not a lot of cheese in these dissuade you – these are so very good and the fragrance of them under your nose while you are biting in makes them all the more better. Great as an appetizer or a snack or a side, these cheesy bread puffs are awesome !

Cheesy Spirals
Cheesy Spirals

8 servings
70 calories per serving

4 oz. can of low fat crescent rolls
¼ c chopped green onions
1/8 t garlic powder
¼ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from can but do not unroll it. Cut into 8 slices and place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and place all the ingredients on top of the rolls and press down lightly. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.

Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Baked Potatoes

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A baked potato sounds simple enough but one not done right is bad…and one done good is just GREAT! What makes a good potato? A nice crispy salted skin and fluffy, perfectly cooked insides ! After many years of trying a dozen methods here is the one I like best…

Baked Potato
Baked Potato

2 servings
160 calories per serving

2 medium baking potatoes
Salt
Molly McButter or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray
Chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke several times with a fork. Salt the outside of the potatoes if you plan on eating the skins. Place in a microwave and oven safe dish and microwave on full power 7 minutes. Take dish from microwave and place in oven and cook 15 -30 minutes as you prep the rest of your dinner. If you have something else in the oven that needs it to be a little lower or higher temperature, no worries – the potatoes will be fine at the alternate temperature.

If you are using larger sized potatoes, increase the microwave time a few minutes.

Split potatoes and prepare with ICBINB spray and sprinkle with salt and chives. Another great low cal topping for potatoes is salsa – – for just 40 calories you can load a 1/2 cup on top of your potato !

Dinner, Sides

Home Fries

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If you can resist the urge to stir these, the outsides get so nice and crispy ! Combine that with the soft and fluffy insides and it’s quite a taste treat. The dry mustard gives these an unexpected flavor – very subtle but still noticeable.

Home Fries
Home Fries

6 servings
122 calories per serving

1 T oil
1 ½ lb. small red potatoes cooked and quartered (to cook, boil in unsalted water 15 minutes or until tender)
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 t paprika
½ t parsley flakes
½ t dry mustard
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper

In a large skillet heat oil on medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook on one side 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to stir 🙂 If you let them sit, they will get a nice brown ‘skin’ and taste so much better ! Turn potatoes, add shallots and cook another 4 minutes or so. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Saute 1-2 minutes or until potatoes are completely done.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Presto Pesto Green Beans

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The pesto flavoring on these beans is subtle but it definitely gives it enough of a kick for the beans to be tasty and interesting !

Pesto Green Beans
Pesto Green Beans

2 servings
41 calories per serving

4 oz. green beans
1 T pesto (bought in the refrigerator section of your market)

Steam beans 5-6 minutes or until tender. Toss with pesto.

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