Coffee used in meat marinades adds a great depth of flavor. This one combines some sugar, so the flavors really STICK to the meat well and that makes it all the more tasty !
Coffee and Steak
4 servings
185 calories per serving
1 t finely ground espresso
1 t Splenda brown sugar
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
4 4 oz. filet mignons
Pam
Heat a grill pan on medium high heat (or heat up the grill in the backyard !). Coat pan with Pam. Combine all the spices and rub into steaks. Cook 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
The nutty flavor of the wild rice really mixes well with the mushrooms and makes this a great side for just about any dish.
Mushrooms and Wild Rice
6 servings
156 calories per serving
1 c wild rice or wild rice mix, cooked
2 T oil
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T chopped parsley
1 T lemon juice
Cook rice according to package instructions. Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and cook until mushrooms are browned, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds and then stir in cooked rice and remove from heat. Add parsley and lemon juice and stir well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Pie. With Apples. And Raisins. It’s sweet and fruity and all the things a pie should be. The sour cream mixed in before cooking adds a nice creamy texture to the apples. Enjoy !
Apple Raisin Sour Cream Pie
8 servings
245 calories per serving
1 prepared low fat graham cracker crust
4 c sliced, peeled Granny Smith apples (4-5 medium)
2 t lemon juice
¼ c dark raisins
½ c low fat sour cream
1 egg white, beaten
10 packets of Equal
1 T flour
¼ t cinnamon plus extra for the top of the pie
1/8 t nutmeg plus extra for the top of the pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples with lemon juice and add raisins. Combine sour cream, egg white, Equal, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix with the apples and raising then spoon into crust. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake about an hour, until apples are tender.
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
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
This is a great stand alone lunch with some Cheesy Bread on the side. Or it is a nice side to a lower cal chicken or fish dinner. The hint of cayenne adds a nice unexpected flavor dimension to the chowder.
Corn Chowder
6 servings
155 calories per serving
1 c chopped onion
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
5 c frozen corn
28 oz. chicken broth
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
¼ t cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Snipped chives for garnish
Pam
Spray a Dutch oven with Pam and heat on medium and cook onion and leek 5 minutes or until tender. If the onions start to get dry or crispy, add up to 3T of hot water to make sure they stay nice and moist. Then add corn and cook 5-6 minutes. Add half the broth and heat to boiling then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer half the corn mix to a blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan and add the rest of the broth, peppers, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt and heat through. Garnish with chives.
Let’s face it – peeling potatoes is a drag ! Well, I came across these instructions on the internet and let me tell you, they work like a charm. The peels just pulled off the boiled potatoes in no time ! Usually if you peel them ahead of time, the outsides get all mushy and mealy and peeling them afterward with a peeler or knife is time consuming at best.
Here is a video instructional showing you how to do it:
Basically, you just score the potatoes the whole way around with a sharp knife (about 1/4 inch deep) and drop them into boiling water for 15 minutes. Take them out and place into an ice bath (ice cubes mixed with cold water) and mix around for 15 seconds. Then take them out of the ice water and apply a little squeezing pressure and the peels come right off !
The only thing I would do different than the video is cook the potatoes a little longer – they were not quite done yet in the middle. If I was going to cube them up for hash browns or further cooking after being sliced or cubed, this would be fine. But they were too undercooked to use for potato salad – I would boil another 5-7 minutes for that. Hope you use this method for easier potato prep in the future !
A little chicken, lotsa vegetables and lotsa flavor !
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.
Just adding a bit of tomato and parsley makes brown rice so much more interesting. And the Worcestershire really adds a nice zing !
Worcestershire Rice
4 servings
127 calories per serving
2 c brown rice, cooked
1 c finely diced tomatoes (I use canned ones here)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t garlic powder
I love to make things earlier in the day and then come home to a nice hot meal. The rich sauce makes you barely notice that the meatballs are done with turkey instead of beef.
Swedish Meatballs (Crock Pot)
4 servings
228 calories per serving
3 slices bread, cubed
1 c evaporated skim milk, divided
1 T buttery spread
¼ c shallots, minced
½ lb. ground turkey
¼ – ½ c bread crumbs (optional – to bring mix to a dry enough consistency)
¼ c Egg Beaters
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c plus 2 T flour
3/4 c chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Mix bread cubes and ½ of the milk and let stand 5 minutes. Melt margarine in a pan and add shallots. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add shallots, meat, egg, salt and pepper to bread. Mix well and if you need it to be drier, add the optional bread crumbs, then make equally sized meatballs. Place ¼ c flour in a bowl and roll meatballs in flour to coat. Place in crock and add broth and Worcestershire. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Mix rest of the flour with the rest of the milk. Remove meatballs to plate and keep warm. Stir milk and flour mix into cooking juices and cover and cook on high 10-15 minutes. Put meatballs back in the pot and serve immediately.
Another recipe that because of FiberGourmet pasta, you can eat a real satisfying portion size ! That means plenty of room for some grated parmesan cheese on top…and even room for a grilled chicken cutlet. You won’t believe the portion size when you make this. The sauce on the pasta and artichokes is very flavorful, light, well-textured and colorful – – it was surprisingly good !
Pasta and Artichoke Hearts in Green Sauce
3 servings
279 calories per serving
1 T oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 9 oz. packages of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
¾ c chicken broth
¾ c water
8 oz. pasta (shells or rotini – FiberGourmet pasta recommended)
1 c frozen peas, thawed
1 T lemon juice
½ t tarragon flakes
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c low fat sour cream
2 t flour
¼ c finely chopped red bell pepper
Heat the oil in a skillet, add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Then add the artichokes and cook another minute then add broth and ¾ c water and bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. When done, drain any remaining liquid into a measuring cup. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and then drain but keep enough of the liquid to fill the measuring cup to ¾ c of total liquid. In a food processor mix the reserved liquid, peas, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper. Process until smooth and then pour the sauce into the skillet with the artichokes and bring to a boil. Whisk together the sour cream and the flour and place in the skillet and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour mix over the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with the peppers and serve immediately.
Without FiberGourmet pasta, this recipe comes in at 359 calories. Not horrendous, but when it comes to pasta, I want as much as possible 🙂
