Tag Archives: carrot

Garbanzo Burgers

When you’re in the mood for a spicy patty on a bun try a veggie patty instead of meat once in a while. Black bean burgers have always been a favorite of mine – now I have an alternate….garbanzo burgers. At only 56 calories, add a 100 calorie bun and have two 🙂

Garbanzo Burgers
Garbanzo Burgers

4 servings
56 calories per serving

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (also called chick peas or cece beans), rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T tahini paste (a sesame seed paste much like peanut butter is a peanut paste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Place garbanzos, peppers, carrots, garlic, red chile pepper, cilantro, tahini, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are mixed evenly. If the mix is too dry, add a few drops of water. Refrigerate the mix 1.2 hour or more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Make 4 burgers out of the bean mix and place on sheet. Bake 20 minutes, flip and cook another 10 minutes. You can also fry these in a medium skillet sprayed with Pam.

Vegetable Gratin

This is such a hearty vegetable dish ! The potatoes, parsnips and carrots really satisfy. Serve next to just about anything for a great serving of vegetables.

Vegetable Gratin
Vegetable Gratin

4 servings
251 calories per serving

Pam
2 t oil
1 lb. onions, thinly sliced
1/3 c skim milk
1 T cornstarch
1 c fat free chicken broth
¼ t pepper
Salt to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
1 t parsley flakes
¼ t thyme
1 lb. red potatoes cut in 1 inch chunks
6 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch chunks
½ lb. parsnips, sliced
½ lb. carrots, sliced

Spray skillet with Pam, add oil and heat on medium high. Cook onions 25 minutes to caramelize and brown the onions. Add a tablespoon or more of hot water along the way if the onions start to dry out too much. Whisk milk and cornstarch and add to onion skillet along with broth, pepper and thyme. Heat on medium high heat and boil for 1 minute stirring continuously.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine potatoes, celery, parsnips and carrots. Stir in onion mix and spices/herbs and turn all into a 3 quart baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes then remove cover and bake another 15 minutes, until golden and tender.

Jeweled Rice

This is a great recipe to use up leftover rice from the Chinese food take out order. Just place it in a colander and place the colander over a pot of steaming water for 5-6 minutes. That brings it back to life nicely 🙂 The veggies look like little jewels in a sea of rice. It’s a very pretty side dish !

Jeweled Rice
Jeweled Rice

6 servings
183 calories

1 c basmati rice (stickier than regular long grain rice)
2 c water
1/4 c roasted peanuts
1 shallot, sliced
2 T water
1 t minced fresh ginger root
3/4 c grated carrots
½ c corn
Salt to taste
¼ t cayenne pepper (double this if you like it spicy !)
3 T chopped cilantro

Add rice to water and bring to a boil on high heat then lower to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes or until water is absorbed (or use steamed leftover rice as mentioned above). Mash peanuts finely or puree in a blender. Heat a skillet and sauté shallots in a couple of tablespoons of hot water. Saute 5 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep them moist. Then add ginger, carrots, corn and salt. Turn to low and cook 5 minutes then stir in rice, pepper, cilantro and peanuts.

Creamy Chicken Rice Soup

The broth for this soup is just perfect – it is satisfyingly creamy without being too much. The veggies are just enough. And the rice makes it really stick with you. It is a great lunch soup and reheats well. Be sure to not skip the wine and lemon juice – just the little bits make a big difference in the taste of the broth !

Creamy Chicken Rice Soup
Creamy Chicken Rice Soup

6 servings
218 calories per serving

½ c chopped carrot
1/3 c finely chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
2 T butter
¼ c flour
6 c chicken broth
2 c cooked rice
1 c cubed cooked chicken
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1 c 2 % milk
2 T lemon juice
1 T white wine

Saute the carrot, onion and celery in the butter until tender then mix in flour and gradually stir in the broth. Mix in rice, chicken, salt, pepper and garlic powder and bring to a boil the reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the milk, lemon juice and wine and cook 5 minutes or until heated through.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

User Perdue Shortcuts and you can be out of the kitchen in 10 minutes making these wraps. They make a great lunch and even a great lite dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Buffalo Chicken Wraps

4 servings
360 calorie per serving

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into strips (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
¼ t salt
1 T hot pepper sauce
½ c finely chopped celery
½ c crumbled blue cheese
½ c fat free blue cheese or ranch dressing
4 10 inch fat free tortillas
1 1/3 c shredded lettuce
¼ c shredded carrot
Pam

Mix chicken salt and pepper sauce. Spray a skillet with Pam and cook chicken 4-5 minutes or until done (or just a minute or 2 to warm up if using pre cooked chicken). Combine celery, cheese and dressing. Spoon celery mix into wraps then chicken and top with lettuce and carrot. Fold up and serve.

Good and Healthy Meatloaf

Pulling another oldie for my Retread week – – hope you enjoy !!

This is a really tasty meatloaf – it is packed with flavor, moist and all the things meatloaf should be 🙂 If you don’t have the individual pans, either make the individual loaves and just set in a baking pan, or make one big loaf. But if you make one big loaf then you will need to increase the baking time so that the center gets done.

Good and Healthy Meatloaf
Good and Healthy Meatloaf

4 servings
205 calories per serving

Pam
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/4 c ketchup, divided in half (2T and 2T)
1/3 c old fashioned oats
1/4 c skim milk
1 carrot in chunks
½ of a small green bell pepper, sliced
1 c fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c egg beaters
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T steak sauce
¼ c cold water (or more)
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk and oats and let sit a few minutes. Put carrots, peppers, onions, parsley and garlic in a food processor or blender and mince. Add oat mix, eggs, Worcestershire, steak sauce, 2 T ketchup and salt. Add beef and mix well. If dry, add some cold water. Spray 4 small individual sized meatloaf pans (I use the disposable ones available in all grocery stores) with Pam. Divide meat mix among the pans and spread 2 T ketchup over each. Place all the mini pans on a baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes and let stand at least 5 before serving.

Meat Loaf in the Raw
Meat Loaf in the Raw

Sacramento Sandwich

The goat cheese and avocado surely make up for the meat on this sandwich and you won’t feel deprived at all. Packed with healthy MUFA and tons of veggies, this will surely be a favorite of yours like it is mine. If you are packing it for work or school, just pack the vinegar separately and pour over just before serving.

Sacramento Sandwich
Sacramento Sandwich

1 serving
340 calories per serving

1 small piece of cucumber
2 t red wine vinegar
2 slices wheat bread (45 calories per slice)
1 slice goat cheese
¼ c alfalfa sprouts
¼ of an avocado, sliced
¼ c shredded carrots
2 radishes, sliced

Cut a small piece of cucumber into thin slices and sprinkle with vinegar. Toast bread and spread with 1 slice of goat cheese and then add cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, carrot and radish.

If you are packing this to go – skip the toast and just place all the ingredients on the bread and douse with vinegar just before serving.

Asian Shrimp Soup

This is a great quick soup that does not skimp on flavor. I usually add in a teaspoon of Asian chili garlic sauce to spice it up, but it is just as good without it. If you know you are having a heavier dinner, this makes a great light lunch with a piece of garlic toast or a cheesy bagel on the side.

Asian Shrimp Soup
Asian Shrimp Soup

4 cups
63 calories per serving

4 c chicken broth
¼ c shredded carrot
2 c bok choy, coarsely chopped
¼ c water chestnuts, chopped
2 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 oz. popcorn (or other small) shrimp, cooked
2 T soy sauce

Bring broth to a boil and add carrots, bok choy, water chestnuts and mushrooms. Simmer 4 minutes then add shrimp and soy and heat through.

Spinach Orzo

Sometimes nothing will do but pasta ! And orzo is one of my favorites ! This recipe is great served next to a lighter fish or chicken dish and you get in lots of veggies along with the pasta. Sometimes I leave out the parmesan if it will not match well with the flavors of the other dinner components – and it tastes just as great without it.

Spinach Orzo
Spinach Orzo

8 servings
160 calories per serving

2 t margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c coarsely shredded carrot
4 c fat free chicken broth
2 c orzo
3 c thinly sliced fresh spinach
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine and cook garlic and carrot 2 minutes then stir in broth, pasta and spinach. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Stir in the rest of the ingredients just before serving.

Zesty Coleslaw

The mustard in the slaw is a nice unexpected flavor – it was not too much, just enough to be interesting without overpowering the dish. How can you beat coleslaw – only 45 calories per serving !

Zesty Coleslaw
Zesty Coleslaw

8 servings
45 calories per serving

8 c coarsely shredded cabbage
1 large carrot, grated
½ c fat free mayo
2 T white vinegar
2 T pineapple juice
3 T spicy brown mustard
1 ½ T sugar
1/8 t pepper
¼ t salt

Combine cabbage and carrot. In another bowl combine all the rest of the ingredients and then pour over the cabbage and toss well. Chill in the refrigerator.

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