Tag Archives: basil

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Kid Friendly, Pasta, Pork

Parmesan Pork and Penne

September 30, 2010 admin 1 Comment

This is a meal that the family was raving about…there was much satisfaction around the dinner table the night I made this one ! Even though it is a very quick sauce, it grabs the flavor from the pork and quickly becomes a sauce full of depth. Be sure to add on the fresh herbs – they really add to the awesome flavor of this dish.

4 servings
380 calories per serving

If you don’t use the FiberGourmet pasta, the meal does not come in under 400 calories.

8 oz. FiberGourmet penne pasta
3 T bread crumbs
3 T grated parmesan cheese
¾ lb. pork tenderloin sliced thinly
2 t oil
Pam
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained this time
8 oz. tomato sauce
2.25 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t basil flakes
½ t oregano flakes
½ t parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T fresh chopped basil

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a zip loc bag then add the pork slices and shake. Heat oil in skillet and also spray it with Pam and then cook pork 4-6 minutes or until browned on both sides. Add tomatoes, sauce, salt, pepper and olives and bring to a boil the reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until pork is tender. Serve pork mix over cooked penne. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Appetizers, Italian, Snacks

Lemon Marinated Antipasto

September 28, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Great as an appetizer, a snack, a lunch side – and this antipasto does not skimp on the ingredients…olives, sausage, cheese, peppers, oh my ! This is very lemony – if you prefer, you can substitute vinegar for the lemon.

12 servings
220 calories per serving

1 lb. spicy turkey sausage
1 T oil
½ c oil
2 t grated lemon zest
½ c lemon juice
2 T chopped basil
½ t oregano flakes
1 t parsley flakes
½ t basil flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. roasted red peppers, drained and cut into small strips
12 oz. mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
1 c pitted kalamata olives

Cook sausage in 1 T oil until done. When cool, cut into slices. Whisk oil, lemon juice and spices with garlic. Layer sausage, pepper strips, cheese and olives in 2 quart size jars and pour over the dressing. Cover and chill 1-2 days. Try to remember to shake the jars a bit each time you open the frig those 1-2 days – that way the lemony marinade coats all the bits of goodness. Let stand at room temp 30 minutes before serving.

(you don’t need the jars – you can do this in a bowl or even a zip loc bag !)

Dinner, Mexican, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Grilled Tomatillos

September 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Tomatillos are spicy little green fruits in the tomato family – you have probably eaten them in some salsas (salsa verde which translates to green salsa) and tomatillo sauces. Grilling them brings out a nice sweet flavor. This is a nice spicy addition to a meal that may be a bit on the blander side.

I served it aside Broiled Cod with Chili Powder – it was a great double whammy of flavor 🙂

4 servings
154 calories per serving

¼ c basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 T lemon juice
6 tomatillos cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1 T oil

Heat grill and oil grates or a grill pan. In a food processor mix the basil, garlic and lemon juice until smooth (adding 1-2 t water if needed). Brush tomatillo slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and then serve with basil sauce.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken Salad with Artichokes

August 30, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Lunch salads don’t have to be the same boring thing day in and day out. This one has marinated grilled chicken and artichokes giving it a great Italian flavor.

2 servings
390 calories per serving

½ c lite Italian dressing
½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 c torn arugula
2 c torn romaine leaves or other greens
14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts
2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
½ c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves cut into strips

Pour ¼ c dressing over chicken and refrigerate ½ hour. Heat grill and cook chicken 6-8 minutes each side or until done then cut into strips. Combine arugula and lettuce and top with artichokes, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, basil and the rest of the dressing.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer

Herbed Chicken

July 29, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – this chicken dish is superb. Try serving with Mexican Mac and Cheese and a nice green salad. The leftovers are great for use in salads, for wraps and sandwiches, and for quick soups.

4 servings
180 calories per serving

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (Perdue Perfect Portions work great here !)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t basil flakes
1 t rosemary flakes
1 t parsley flakes
¼ t kosher salt
2 T oil
Pam

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Make some deep slit sin the chicken tops. Combine garlic and other herbs and 2 T of oil and brush onto chicken. Heat an oven safe skillet and spray with Pam and cook chicken slit side down with the pan covered for 5 minutes to get a nice sear on it. Turn and then place skillet into oven and cook 12-15 minutes.

Alternately grill chicken on a hot grill if you prefer 🙂

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Sides

Tortellini and Veggies

July 24, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Tortellini are so versatile. And this is a great recipe to show off their cheesy goodness 🙂 The sauce is light and packed with healthy veggies.

4 servings
182 calories per serving

1 9 oz. package of refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 T oil
2 medium shallots, minced
1 medium bell pepper in 1 inch pieces
2 c chopped plum tomatoes (about 6 tomatoes)
1 medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into half moons
½ t garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t basil flakes
½ t oregano flakes

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat oil in pan and cook bell pepper and shallots in oil 4-5 minutes then add tomatoes, zucchini and seasonings and cover and cook 5 minutes. Finally add in tortellini and cook 3 minutes or until hot.

Top off the dish with some fresh herbs of your choice (basil and parsley do quite well).

Dinner, Instructional, Sides, Videos

Twice Baked Potatoes

July 21, 2010 admin Leave a comment

So very good ! You can stuff potatoes with just about anything but this recipe turns out a perfect twice baked potato – the sour cream and mozzarella are just perfect here.

4 servings
172 calories per serving

4 medium baking potatoes
1/3 c low fat sour cream
2 T chopped fresh basil and chives and parsley
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Skim milk
¼ c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean potatoes, dry them and prick them with a fork. Bake one hour. Cut a 1 inch slit in the top and spoon out pulp into a bowl. Do this gently so the skin stays in tact. Use a blender so you get nice whipped consistency and mix together the pulp, sour cream, herbs and parmesan cheese. Add a few tablespoons of milk if the mix is too dry. Stuff the mixture back into the potato skins and sprinkle with mozzarella. Place in a baking dish and bake 20 minutes or refrigerate and then when you bake, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes then uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

To hollow out the potatoes, after you bake them, let them cool and then follow the instructions in this video.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer

Herbed Flank Steak

July 15, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The red wine really helps tenderize this steak – it was so very delicious. Serve with Sauteed Peppers and Onions for a great meal. Leftovers make a great addition to a cold salad – just slice thinly and toss with greens and dressing.

8 servings
221 calories per serving

2 lb. flank steak
¼ c Dijon mustard
¼ c dry red wine
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 T oil
2 T fresh basil
1 T fresh oregano
1 T fresh thyme
1 t salt
½ t pepper
½ t garlic powder

Score meat with diagonal, shallow cuts and place in a zip loc. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour into the bag, mix around well, seal and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Heat grill and cook meat 9 minutes each side or until desired doneness. Slice thinly across the grain.

Dinner, Italian, Sides, Vegetables

Roasted Peppers and Garlic

June 18, 2010 admin Leave a comment

When you roast peppers, you make them ultimately sweet and bring out tons of natural flavor. When paired up with some simple oil, garlic, and seasoning, you get quite a treat !

If you only have one color pepper, don’t let that hold you back from roasting them up. In the line up of most sweet to least sweet, you have the red, orange, yellow and green bell pepper. All have a very distinct flavor and all are delicious ! I add a bunch more garlic to these than the recipe calls for – just because 🙂

4 servings
97 calories per serving

1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
2 T oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ t oregano flakes
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
Handful of basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve the peppers and remove the seeds. Place cut side up on a cookie sheet and drizzle with oil. Add garlic slices to pepper halves along with oregano, salt and pepper. Roast 35 minutes or so (or until skin starts to blister) and then remove from oven and sprinkle with a handful of fresh torn basil leaves.

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Vegetables

No Bake Lasagna

June 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Even my non-lasagna-loving kid had to have seconds of this one. It is just cheesy enough without that part being overpowering. Much like the physical layers of the lasagna, there are great flavor layers here since the cheese mix, zucchini mix and tomato mix are all flavored independently. This was a really superb dish !

4 servings
376 calories per serving

½ c low fat ricotta cheese
3 T parmesan cheese
3 T plus 2 t oil
Coarse salt
Pepper
8 lasagna noodles broken in half
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
½ t red pepper flakes
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
½ t garlic powder
1 T basil leaves, torn

Mix cheeses and 2 t oil. Add salt and pepper. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions and then drain. Heat 2 T oil in a skillet and cook garlic and tomatoes with some salt and pepper and the crushed red pepper about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and then add 1 T oil and zucchini to the skillet, season with garlic powder, and cook about 8 minutes then remove to a bowl and add basil. Place some tomatoes on plates and top with a noodle and a small spoonful of ricotta and a spoonful of zucchini and then some more tomatoes. Repeat layers twice and then top with the rest of the noodles and tomatoes and garnish with basil.