Tag Archives: celery

Kitchen Sink Salad

This is my ‘recipe’ for a salad that contains ‘everything but the kitchen sink’. Sometimes it’s the best unplanned dish of the week.

By the end of the week I have a bunch of bits and pieces of veggies left over – so I use them all in a salad – whatever I have, it gets thrown in. And because the salad is so full of flavor from all the veggies, I use NO OIL. And that makes for one LOW CAL, LOW FAT salad !

Sometimes I even put in bits of other prepared salads I had made – this picture shows a salad where I added in some left over cucumber and radish salad – and even some black beans. Try it – it makes salad eating so much more pleasurable !

Kitchen Sink Salad
Kitchen Sink Salad

1 serving
30-80 calories per serving

2 c field greens or any other leftover lettuce you have
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t oregano flakes
Vinegar (balsamic, red wine, anything)
Citrus juice – up to a tablespoon of lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice – whatever floats your boat
1 c Veggies – cucs, broccoli, carrots, celery, jicama, zucchini
1/4 c Beans – black beans, chick peas, cannellini beans
1/4 c Fresh herbs – parsley, cilantro, basil

Mix it all up and enjoy !

Chicken and Pasta Soup

This soup is prepared a day ahead and refrigerated so that the flavors really mingle. If you want to serve the same day you make it, that works too 🙂

Chicken and Pasta Soup
Chicken and Pasta Soup

6 servings
265 calories per serving

1/2 c cannellini beans
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
6 bay leaves
7 c water
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 carrot, sliced thinly
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
Leaves from the tops of the celery stalks
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 T minced garlic
½ t onion powder
2 t basil flakes
8 oz. FiberGourmet pasta (short alfredo, elbows or rotini)

In a soup pot combine chicken, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil. Add onions, carrots, celery, celery leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic and basil. Return to a boil and then lower heat and simmer 1 hour. Add beans and remove bay leaves. Refrigerate overnight. The next day heat the broth and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in soup bowl and ladle soup into each bowl.

Celery Parsley Salad

A simple dish with a simple combination of flavors that can be paired with anything. And at only 18 calories per serving, it is insanely low in calories. I always wondered if celery really was a negative calorie food..hmmmm???

Celery Parsley Salad
Celery Parsley Salad

4 servings
18 calories per serving

4 celery stalks sliced thin
¼ c packed parsley leaves
1 ½ t sherry vinegar
1 t oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a bowl and mix well.

Healthy Wrap

A little chicken, lotsa vegetables and lotsa flavor !

Healthy Wrap
Healthy Wrap

6 servings
289 calories per serving

2 c chopped cooked chicken breast
2/3 c thinly sliced red bell pepper
½ c thinly sliced English cucumbers
1/2 c sliced celery
1/2 c light ranch dressing
1/4 c crumbed goat cheese
4 c chopped romaine lettuce
6 8-inch fat free flour tortillas

Layer all the ingredients in tortillas, wrap and secure with a toothpick. Here’s my instructional video in how to secure a wrap so nothing leaks out the bottom.

Hummus and Veggies

Hummus is simply a dip made from chickpeas. Many hummus recipes also use tahini, which is just a paste of oil and ground up sesame seeds. Many of the store-bought hummus dips are downright delicious – all the different brands have different consistencies so sample a few and find the one you like. Some are creamier, some are grittier, and some are more spicy than others– and if you can’t find one you like, make your own !

Hummus and Veggies
Hummus and Veggies

1 serving
130 calories per serving

½ cucumber, sliced into spears
1 stalk celery, sliced into spears
4 T hummus (roasted red pepper flavor is my favorite)

Turkey Sandwich Lunch Platter

Quick, easily portable and a great lunch. If you gotta have mayo instead of mustard, then use low or no fat and reduce the light ranch dressing.

Turkey Sandwich Lunch Platter
Turkey Sandwich Lunch Platter

1 serving
305 calories per serving

2 slices 45 calories wheat bread
5 slices deli turkey
1 slice tomato
1 lettuce leaf
mustard
1/2 c baby carrots
1/2 c celery sticks or broccoli florets
1/4 c light ranch dressing for dipping (or onion dip made with no fat sour cream)

Make your sandwich and enjoy !

No Meat Chili (Crock Pot)

It may have no meat, but it does not skimp on the flavor. And at only 240 calories for a heaping serving, it gets my full seal of approval ! The ingredient list is long, but don’t let it fool you – this comes together very quickly.

No Meat Chili
No Meat Chili

5 servings
240 calories per serving

1 large 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (with green chilies or garlic if you like)
1 small can zesty tomato sauce
3/4 c black beans
3/4 c kidney beans
1 4.25 oz. can jalapeno peppers, rinsed and diced
1 7 oz. can corn
1 1/2 c chopped onions
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 3/4 c chopped celery
1 13.25 oz. can button mushrooms (each mushroom halved)
2 T chili powder (or more !)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t cumin
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
¾ t oregano flakes
¾ t parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Put sauce, tomatoes, beans, corn, jalapenos, mushrooms, chili powder and cumin in crock pot. Add chili powder, Worcestershire and cumin and stir well.

Spray a skillet with Pam and bring to medium high heat. Saute bell peppers, onion, garlic and celery for 5-7 minutes to soften. Add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley and mix well. Then stir this mix into the crock with the tomato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours

You could skip the step of sauting the pepper and onion mix, but I feel the texture is a whole lot better if you don’t ! If you don’t have a crock pot, you can use a regular pot on the stove, just add the onion mix to the pot with the tomatoes, bring all to a boil, and then simmer partially covered for 1-2 hours.

Apple Salad

A sophisticated blend of endive, watercress and apple that cures boring salads !

Apple Salad
Apple Salad

4 servings
132 calories per serving

Dressing:
2 T oil
1 T cider vinegar
1 t sugar free maple syrup
2 t Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 heads endive
1 bunch watercress
4 stalks celery
1 apple

Mix dressing. Core and slice endive. Remove thick stems from watercress. Slice celery and apple thinly. Mix together and add dressing. Add 2 T crumbled goat cheese for only 40 calories more.

Spicy Soup

When I eat something nice and spicy, it somehow leaves me more satisfied – my mouth KNOWS it just ate ! This soup does the trick. Serve with a side of Whole Wheat Garlic Toast for a nice, complete meal.

Spicy Soup
Spicy Soup

2 servings
248 calories per serving

2 c vegetable stock or broth (Emeril’s is great !)
2 small cans Spicy V-8 juice
1 T minced onion
2 T minced celery
1/4 c celery, thinly sliced
3 T fresh celery leaves
1 1/2 c shredded carrots
1 15.5 oz. can chick peas
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste

Mix all together in a pan and simmer 15-20 minutes. To give it more of a Mexican flair, add a bit of ground cumin and 1/4 c cilantro leaves. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Homemade Lo Mein

It is sooooo worth finding these noodles and making this dish. It is authentic, satisfying , soooo low cal considering the big portion you get and it is truly delicious.

Homemade Lo Mein
Homemade Lo Mein

4 servings
212 calories per serving

2 8 oz. packages of House Tofu Shiratake Noodles (available in most food markets and definitely in Asian markets. You’ll find them with the tofu products – SO LOW cal and so noodly!)
4 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 T green onions, sliced
1 c celery, sliced thinly
2 c carrots, shredded (buy them pre-shredded to save time)
3 T teriyaki sauce
3 T Kraft Asian Sesame Dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare noodles according to package instructions (rinse, microwave 1 minute, dry on a paper towel). Cut the noodles into 3 or 4 inch lengths. Using a pair of kitchen scissors makes this task easy. Heat oil in a non stick pan. On medium high, cook garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Cook 5 -7 minutes, until veggies are soft. Stir in noodles and press into a flat layer. Cook 3 minutes on high heat. Add the teriyaki and dressing and mix well. Cook 3-4 minutes longer on medium high heat.

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