Category Archives: Dinner

Lemon Parsley Pork Chops

February 2, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Super savory and very easy to make. The topping has such a burst of lemony flavor that you don’t want to stop eating !

4 servings
208 calories per serving

1 T oil
Pam
4 boneless pork chops (3 ounces each)
1/2 onion, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c hot water
4 T parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of one half lemon

Heat oil and Pam in skillet on medium high heat. Saute the onion for 3-4 minutes. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and then add to pan. Cook 3 minutes. Turn meat over and add garlic and continue cooking another 3 minutes. Add water. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 10 minutes.

Uncover and cook 5 more minutes. Remove chops to a plate and keep warm. Add parsley and lemon zest to pan. Cook down for about 2 minutes on high. Squeeze in lemon juice and cook down 30 seconds more. Spoon this mix over the chops and serve immediately.

Chicken, Dinner, Lunch

Healthy Buffalo Chicken

February 1, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a great appetizer or lunch portion – for dinner, add a nice salad or fruit mix on the side.

4 servings
230 calories per serving

1 lb. chicken tenders cut in half
1/2 t cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
3 T cayenne pepper sauce (Frank’s Hot Sauce)
1 T water
1 T buttery spread, melted
1/3 c low fat sour cream
1/4 c crumbled blue cheese
2 T low fat mayonnaise
2 T skim milk
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
Carrot and celery slices

Preheat broiler. Spray baking sheet with Pam. Toss chicken with cayenne pepper and 1/4 t salt. Place chicken on pan and broil 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Microwave cayenne sauce, water and butter 10 seconds. Brush onto chicken and broil 2 minutes longer, then flip chicken, coat with more sauce and broil another minute or until chicken is done.

Make dip by combining sour cream, cheese, mayonnaise, milk and Worcestershire. Serve chicken with dip, carrots and celery sticks.

Crock pot, Dinner, Instructional, Italian, Videos

Lasagna (Crock Pot)

January 28, 2010 admin 2 Comments

Even traditional lasagna lovers like this one – and it is nice and easy to do. Start it at lunch time and have dinner ready 4 hours later. Take a look at my video below for instructions on how to layer it in your crock.

8 servings
275 calories per serving

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 c diced eggplant
1 jar Paul Newman’s marinara sauce
1/4 t red pepper flakes
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
¼ t basil flakes
1 c water
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1 T chopped parsley
1/4 c Egg Beaters
1 c shredded parmesan cheese (not grated, shredded)
8 no boil lasagna noodles

Brown the ground beef in a heated skillet and drain off any fat and water. Stir in the pepper, sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, basil flakes, water, and eggplant. In a bowl combine the egg, cheeses and parsley. Place a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a crock pot. I find my oval shaped on works the best here. Top with 2-3 noodles, nipping off the corners in order to get a nice fit. Add another layer of meat sauce and then one thick layer of the cheese mixture. Top with a final layer of noodles and then a final layer of meat sauce. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours.

Here is a video of how to layer it up in the crock pot:

Appetizers, Crock pot, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Turkey

Crock Pot Appetizer Meatballs

January 26, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Though I usually serve this as a quick and easy appetizer, I sometimes double up the serving and make it a main dish meal. Adding just a few things to bottled sauce can round out the flavors and make it taste much more homemade.

8 servings
180 calories per serving (3 meatballs)

24 Shady Brook Farms turkey meatballs (Italian spiced)
1 jar Paul Newman’s marinara sauce
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
6 T parsley, chopped
½ c grated parmesan cheese

Place the sauce in a small pan on medium low heat. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper, parsley and cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes.

If you are going to eat soon, pre-heat the meatballs in the microwave for 5 minutes. Then place in crock with sauce and heat on low for 1 hour. Otherwise, place meatballs in crock pot and pour the hot sauce over them. Cover and keep on low or warm setting for up to 4 hours.

Dinner, Italian, Lunch

Eggplant Pizza

January 21, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This one really hits the spot ! I spice it up a little by adding crushed red pepper flakes 🙂 Don’t like eggplant, then substitute tomato slices. But be sure to give this one a try.

4 servings
295 calories per serving

1/2 c marinara sauce
1 10 oz. Boboli (precooked pizza shell available at all food markets)
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into thin slices
1/2 c part skim ricotta
2 T parmesan cheese
2 T thinly sliced basil
Dried oregano flakes
Onion powder
Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread sauce on Boboli. Sprinkle with a little dried oregano flakes, onion powder and garlic powder. Top with eggplant slices and drop ricotta by tablespoonfuls evenly over the eggplant. Bake directly on oven rack 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan right when it comes out of the oven.

Dinner, Turkey

Shepherd’s Pie

January 20, 2010 admin Leave a comment

All the potato goodness of original Shepherd’s Pie recipes, but using ground turkey instead of ground beef cuts down on a lot of calories and a lot of fat. This one dish meal is definitely a complete meal…very filling !

6 servings
342 calories per serving

1 bag Oreida steamed mashed potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped small
2 carrots, chopped small
2 T Worchestershire sauce
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t parsley flakes
1 c frozen peas
2 T buttery spread
1/3 + 1/4 c fat free half and half
¼ c Egg Beaters

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare potatoes according to package instructions. Mash slightly then add chives, butter, 1/3 half and half and ¼ cup Egg Beaters. If they are still stiff, add up to ¼ c hot water.

Heat skillet on medium high, add turkey. Season with salt and pepper and brown it 5 minutes. Add onions and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes until veggies are softened. Add Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder and parsley. Reduce heat to low and cover and cook another 6 minutes. Stir and add peas and ¼ cup half and half.

Put turkey and vegetable mix into a deep 9×9 baking dish. Top with potatoes. Bake 20 minutes. Don’t over bake as turkey tends to dry out.

Beef, Dinner, Polish

Lazy Man’s Stuffed Cabbage

January 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

I love stuffed cabbage, but it is a major undertaking when you are rolling them all individually. Get the same taste with so much less effort with this great ‘Lazy’ recipe. Here you just make a casserole with layers of all the ingredients and it cuts the prep time down incredibly.

4 servings
394 calories per serving

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked brown minute rice
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c ketchup in mix and 1/2 c for top of casserole
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced
Couple of drops of smoked flavoring (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t onion powder
Pam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Brown meat and onion in a skillet. Drain well. Cut cabbage into small shreds (not so small as coleslaw cabbage, just smallish slices). Add tomatoes, ketchup, smoked flavor, salt, pepper, onion powder and rice to meat. Simmer 2 minutes. If rice needs more water to soak up, add it (last time I made it, it needed about ½ cup added) . Place a layer of cabbage in a large baking pan sprayed with Pam. Cover with a layer of the meat mix. Repeat with a layer of cabbage. Add extra ketchup to the top layer. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cabbage is tender.

Asian, Dinner, Fish, Kid Friendly

Asian Shrimp

January 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This sweet shrimp dish is best served with another Asian inspired dish, I choose to pair it with my Homemade Lo Mein. It cooks in just minutes and definitely is kid friendly with the sweet sauce. Just leave out the red pepper flakes if serving to young ones.

4 servings
239 calories per serving

1 T dark sesame oil
2 t minced garlic
4 scallions, sliced
1 lb. medium sized shrimp, peeled and cleaned with tails off
1/4 c water
2 T soy sauce
4 t cornstarch
2 t red pepper flakes
2 t Splenda brown sugar
4 t toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cool 6 minutes or until shrimp is just about done. While the shrimp cooks, combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper and sugar. Pour over shrimp in skillet and cook 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens up. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Dinner, Italian, Pasta

Cavatelli with Escarole

January 11, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is one of my absolute favorites and I have made it many times. It’s a great meal to serve for guests as they do not feel like they are on a diet (just give them bigger portions) and you don’t have to break your 400 calorie habit when entertaining !

4 servings
359 calories per serving

8 oz frozen cavatelli
1 1/2 t oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. escarole
1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 c low fat chicken broth
1/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Cook the cavatelli according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm. In a Dutch oven or large pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Clean the escarole, trimming away any bad spots and getting rid of the tough outer leaves and then chop it or tear it into pieces about the same size you would make them for a salad. Add a handful of escarole at a time to the pot stirring until it is all mixed well. Cook 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook 5 or more minutes, or until the escarole is wilted. Add the broth and salt and garlic powder and cook 5 minutes. Add the cavatelli and cook a minute or so, just to heat through pasta. Remove from pan, sprinkle with cheese, and serve immediately.

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Vegetables

Tortellini Alpesto

January 8, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Cheese tortellini, even in smaller portions, are very filling and satisfying. This meal also packs in tons of veggies and a great sauce that sooooo does not say diet. It’s almost a pesto alfredo the way the sauce flavors combine.

4 servings
335 calories per serving

9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
16 oz frozen broccoli stir fry vegetables
8 oz fat free sour cream
2 T pesto sauce (Buitoni makes a good one)
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/8 t pepper
¼ t garlic powder
Salt to taste

Cook tortellini and vegetables together in 3 quarts of water 7-9 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl. Combine sour cream, pesto, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Stir into pasta and veggies. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.