Tag Archives: tomato

Cucumber Rounds

February 11, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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

6 servings
50 calories per serving

1 English cucumber, peeled (if you use a regular cucumber, be sure to scoop out the seeds)
1/4 c Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese, chive and onion flavor
Fresh dill sprigs (optional)
12 little strips sundried tomatoes (blot off oil)

Cut cucumber into 12 slices. Scoop out a bit if the middle of each to make a little ‘cup’ to hold the cheese. Fill each with cheese. Top each with a sprig of dill and a strip of sundried tomato.

Appetizers, Snacks

‘Who Dat?’ Superbowl Dip

February 7, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a great party dish and I’m serving it up for Superbowl. Unlike most of the other snacks that will be around, this one is low cal and nutritious so I will try and stay on the side of the table with this instead of the KFC wings 😉

32 servings
42 calories per serving (1 serving = 2 T)

1 can refried black beans
1 T chili powder
½ r cumin
1 c light sour cream
1 c shredded light cheddar cheese
3 green onions, sliced
1/3 c sliced black olives
1 tomato, chopped

Mix the beans, chili powder and cumin and spread on the bottom of a serving bowl or pie plate. Top with a layer of sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese, onions, olives and tomato. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve with tortilla chips.

Lunch, Pork, Sandwiches

Ham Sandwich

February 6, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The cucumbers really make this a juicy sandwich without having to use any mustard or mayo. But if you can’t live without them, no worries, there are plenty of calories to spare in this satisfying lunch sandwich.

1 serving
240 calories per serving

2 slices 45 calories wheat bread
5 slices lean deli ham
1 slice low fat swiss cheese (70 calories)
1 slice tomato
5 very thin slices cucumber

Make a sandwich and enjoy 🙂

Lunch, Mexican

Bean Burritos

January 27, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is another one of those very versatile lunches – swap out the black beans for refried beans, the red peppers for green peppers, the cumin for chili powder – and you have a whole different beast ! Just be sure to microwave the wraps for 15 seconds so that they are nice and pliable and don’t break when you are wrapping the contents.

4 servings
207 calories per serving

15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed, then mashed
1/2 t ground cumin
4 whole wheat tortillas (80 calorie version)
1 c chopped tomato
1 c chopped red bell pepper
1 c salsa
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix beans with cumin, salt, pepper and chopped red peppers. Microwave 1 minute to heat. Spread over tortillas. Sprinkle with salsa and tomato. Roll up and enjoy. Take a look at my instructional video to learn how to fold a wrap so the contents won’t fall out the end 🙂

Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches, Soups

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

January 15, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This sooooo takes the place of a regular grilled cheese – not quite your local diner fare, but very satisfying. It is tasty and fat free cheese slices do not taste like cardboard like they did 10 years ago. They are creamy and cheesy and this is an awesome sandwich.

1 serving
140 calories for the sandwich
100 calories for the soup

2 slices 45 calorie bread
2 slices Kraft fat free slices American cheese
20 sprays of ICBINB (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)
Pam

Tomato Soup – approximately 1 cup = 100 calories for several brands in the carton. And to me, the soups in the carton are much better than the canned ones. I swear I can taste the can when I eat some brands 🙁

Spray pan with Pam and heat – make sure pan is good and hot on medium high heat. Make sandwich of the bread and cheese. Spray outsides of the sandwich with 5 sprays each of ICBINB. Place in pan and cook 1-2 minutes or so each side or until brown and cheese is melted. Meanwhile heat the soup in a pot and ladle into a mug.

Lunch, Mexican, Salads

Santa Fe Bean Salad

January 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This has a lot of flavor and is a great lunch salad. You don’t even realize you’re eating lettuce 🙂 And it even fills up my husband ! If you don’t like black beans, substitute kidney or white beans.

4 servings
305 calories per serving

1/3 c salsa
3 T low fat sour cream
1 T cider vinegar
15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 c corn
1/2 c diced avocado
1/4 c chopped cilantro
6 c chopped romaine
2 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
24 baked tortilla chips

Stir together salsa, sour cream and vinegar to make sauce. Combine the beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado and cilantro with the sauce. Divide lettuce and place on plates. Top with 1/2 c of the bean mix. Sprinkle with cheese. Place 6 chips around each plate and serve.

Salads, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

January 6, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a great low calorie side to any lunch or dinner. In the summer, I substitute heirloom tomatoes from the local farmer’s market. Regular cucumber can be used, but English cucumbers have many less seeds and I find them more enjoyable. I often substitute fresh herbs if I have them around (parsley, basil, dill, chives, etc.)

4 servings
38 calories per serving

1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut in thin slices
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t oregano flakes
½ t basil flakes
¼ t red pepper flakes
4 T vinegar

Place all in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to let flavors mix.

Chicken, Dinner, Soups

Rustic Chicken Soup

January 4, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This soup uses up leftovers and is super simple to put together. You can always add extra fresh or dried herbs to make it as spicy as you like. I just sent some of this over to my sick soon to be sister-in-law. Hope it makes her all better 🙂

6 servings
202 calories per serving

3 ½ quarts water
2 c tomato soup
6 oz leftover grilled chicken, cut into small cubes
1 c shredded carrots
1 c green beans, trimmed
1 c small potato cubes
1 c white beans (canned)
1 onion, sliced
1 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c leftover roasted tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
½ c grated parmesan cheese
2 t dry chicken bouillon powder
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Appetizers, Sides, Vegetables

Stuffed Mushrooms

January 3, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Great to bring along to a party !

4 servings
121 calories per serving (4 mushrooms)

16 medium sized button mushrooms, stems removed, but reserved
1 c crumbled goat cheese
4 T chopped flat leaf parsley
16 pieces of sundried tomato packed in oil, drained
1 t cayenne pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with Pam.

Mince the reserved mushroom stems (food processor works great) and place in a bowl with cheese, parsley and cayenne pepper. Mix and set aside. Place caps in the prepared pan and lightly spray the tops with Pam. Fill each cap with the cheese mixture and then top each with a sundried tomato strip. Bake 15 minutes.