Category Archives: Summer

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

July 13, 2014 admin Leave a comment

I’ve been making this chicken salad since the 80’s when a friend shared her recipe with me. Before then, I definitely was not a fan of the thought of apples and chicken together. But ever since that first bite all those years ago, I have never made traditional chicken salad again without apples ! If you’ve never tried, give it a shot !

4 servings
290 calories per serving

12 oz. cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, in small chunks (Perdue Shortcuts work great here)
1 granny smith apple, diced small
2 t lemon juice
¼ c low fat mayo
8 slices 45 calorie per slice wheat bread
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and let sit in refrigerator at least 1 hour so flavors combine well. Make sandwiches and enjoy !

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer

Barbecue Chicken

July 11, 2014 admin 1 Comment

Summertime is time for barbecue chicken ! I like to parboil mine so that it does not get all dried out on the grill. And then I slather it with sauce 🙂

4 servings
271 calories per serving

4 skinless split breasts (5 oz. each)
4 oz. barbecue sauce

Place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer chicken for 30 minutes to partially cook them. Remove to a plate and then place on heated grill, slather with sauce, and cook another 15 minutes or until done. Flip and rebaste with sauce several times during the grilling process.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

Buttermilk Sorbet

July 8, 2014 admin Leave a comment

This is one of those good old fashioned tasting desserts. So refreshing, so simple. This mildly tart sorbet is great served with seasonal berries.

4 servings
206 calories per serving

2 c low fat buttermilk
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup

3 c mix of seasonal berries (I used sliced strawberries and blueberries)

Mix buttermilk, ¼ c sugar and corn syrup and place in an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions. Freeze for an hour or until firm then place in serving bowls and cover with fresh berries.

Lunch, Salads, Summer

BLT Salad

July 4, 2014 admin Leave a comment

I’m not a big salad lover. That is always a tough part of ‘dieting’ for me. But once in a while I actually crave a big bowl of greens. Adding bacon and croutons makes this one a winner.

1 serving
280 calories per serving

3 c chopped romaine lettuce
6 slices turkey bacon
1 c halved grape tomatoes
1 slice 45 calorie bread
2 T dressing (70 calorie)

Toast bread and let it sit to harden (about 5 minutes) and then cut into cubes. Cook bacon according to instructions. When cool, crumble up. Put lettuce and tomatoes in a bowl. Top with bacon and croutons. Drizzle with dressing.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Snacks, Summer

Bananasicles

July 1, 2014 admin Leave a comment

You can use the popsicle ‘molds’ you get at the store, or even more fun is placing the mix in Dixie cups, adding a stick, and then peeling away the cup just before serving. Simple, simple to do and a very tasty evening treat. At only 82 calories per creamy pudding pop, I might just have one every night 🙂

7 servings
82 calories per serving

3.4 oz. package of instant banana pudding mix
2 c skim milk
1 banana cut into small pieces
7 T sugar free chocolate syrup (the type you use to make chocolate milk)

Place 1 T of chocolate syrup into the bottom of each cup. Combine pudding and milk until thick then stir in banana pieces and divide mix into 3 oz. paper cups. Cover with foil and poke through popsicle sticks and freeze 3 hours. Peel away cup to serve.

Dessert, MUFAs, Summer

Avocado Ice Cream

June 28, 2014 admin Leave a comment

This is not your run of the mill ice cream ! It is filled with MUFA, is sweet and tasty, and will definitely turn heads ! Give it a try next time you are ready to make some ice cream.

8 servings
224 calories per serving

1 ½ c avocado puree (about 3 avocados worth)
1 ½ c water
1 1/3 c sugar
¼ c lime juice
1/3 c tequila
Lime zest garnish

Puree avocado and add water, sugar, lime juice and tequila and pulse until well combined. Refrigerate the mix from 1 hour to overnight. Place in ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions. Garnish with lime zest.

Dessert, Fruit, Kid Friendly, Summer

Angel Food Cake and Fruit

June 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

So extremely yummy and so easy to put together – you buy a prepared angel food cake, mix up an orange juice syrup and add some fruit – feel free to mix it up and use whatever is the freshest at your market. This week I added fresh blackberries !

8 servings
205 calories per serving

1 small angel food cake
1 cup orange juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into slices and then cut in quarters (or one small can mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed lightly)
1/3 c Splenda
1 T plus 1 t cornstarch
1 large banana, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and cut into pieces

Mix OJ, Splenda and cornstarch and blend to dissolve cornstarch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and thicken the sauce cooking a few minutes. When done, stir in the bananas and kiwi and stir to coat. Add oranges and mix then serve the fruit mix over cake.

Add some Cool Whip Lite for a great indulgent dessert.

Beef, Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer

Stir-Fry on the Grill

June 22, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By using a grill basket, you can get the great grilled flavor with just about anything, even small pieces of meat and veggies. Some would do these as kabobs, but I find them too tedious to put together and then some of them always fall off the skewers and into the grill. Get a grill basket and you can do all sorts of things without any lost pieces 🙂

6 servings
283 calories, per serving

2 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small pieces
1 lb. beef cubes (lean)
2 baby eggplant, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
½ head of broccoli cut into florets
½ head of cauliflower cut into florets
½ c steak house marinade
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t onion powder
½ t garlic powder.
Pam

Place the meat and chicken in a Ziploc and add the marinade. Mush it all around to coat all the meat and then place in the frig and let marinate 2 hours. Place the veggies in a bowl and sprinkle with the spices. Heat the grill and a grill basket. Spray the basket with high heat Pam and add the veggies. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Move the veggies to one side of the basket and add the meat to the other side. Cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Mix all together and server immediately.

Chicken, Dinner, Summer

Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs

June 16, 2014 admin Leave a comment

You know the drill – toss the skewers and throw this in a grill basket ! But I still call it a “Kabob” recipe so you can visualize it 🙂 The yogurt sauce is JUST PERFECT in this recipe. Serve with some cous cous on the side.

4 servings
261 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
½ c plain yogurt
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 t grated lime zest
2 T lime juice
2 T oil
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t curry powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 green bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini in ½ inch slices
10 grape tomatoes
Pam

For the marinade, mix yogurt, cilantro, lime peel and juice, oil, honey, mustard, garlic, curry, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a zip loc and pour in the marinade and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Heat grill and spray a grill basket with Pam. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally so that all sides of the meat and veggies get browned.

Drinks, Kid Friendly, Summer

Virgin Mojitos

June 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Mojitos are a GREAT summer drink. They are basically a lime and mint flavored drink – most often served with rum. But kids love the flavor, so make a batch of virgin mojitos without the rum – not only will the kids love them, but without the rum, the calorie count is seriously low. So get lotsa limes, lotsa mint and get ready to smile.

1 serving (12 oz.)
20 calories per serving

6 mint leaves
1 T Splenda or Equal
Juice of one lime
12 oz. can diet lemon lime side
Garnish with fresh mint and lime slices

Mull mint leaves and Splenda at the bottom of the glass with the handle of a wooden spoon. Add lime juice and stir. Pour in soda and stir well. Garnish with lime slices and extra mint.