Though in a typical aioli the mayo is made from scratch by whipping the eggs, you can make a quick version with low fat mayo, garlic and lemon zest and you’ll be in dipping heaven. The zucchini fries are perfect with the sauce. Try serving next to a chicken or turkey burger for a saintly version of a burger and fries.
Zucchini Fries
8 servings
108 calories per serving
1 lb. zucchini (about 3)
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1 pack Shake and Bake
1 egg
1/2 c low fat mayo
1 t lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pam
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Cut zucchini into ¼ inch ‘french fries’. Mix cheese with Shake and bake and place in a zip loc bag. Whisk egg and toss with zucchini then drain off any excess egg and working in batches place zucchini in zip loc and shake to coat. Spread zucchini on baking sheet and cook 12-13 minutes turning half way through.
Mix mayo, lemon and garlic and serve as a dipping sauce.
Super good – this stacks up to any taco you find out there and the kids love to make these. These tacos really hit the spot.
Soft Chicken Tacos
10 servings
249 calories per serving
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite sized cubes
1t red vinegar
Juice of one half a lime
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t oregano flakes
10 6 inch flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 c shredded lettuce
1/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c salsa
Pam
1 avocado, sliced
Spray a skillet with Pam and cook chicken 6-7 minutes or until done. Mix in vinegar, juice, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Heat tortillas half a minute in microwave. Put chicken mix in tacos and top with cheese, tomato, lettuce and salsa. Top with 2 slices of avocado per taco.
Pork with a great crunchy coating, plus a side salad with a surprisingly good dressing !
Pork and Greens
6 servings
342 calories per serving
1/4 c green salsa (salsa verde)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 c low fat mayo
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb. boneless pork chops (¼ inch thick)
35 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers, finely crushed
2 T oil, divided
7 oz. Spring Mix (or your favorite mixed leafy greens)
Mix together salsa, mustard and 1 T may0 and set aside – this is the salad dressing. Mix garlic and mayo and coat pork (put it on like you are buttering bread) then coat with the crumbs. Heat skillet and add half the oil. Cook half the chops 5 minutes per side or until done. Add the other oil and repeat with the remaining chops. Mix greens and dressing.
What a great tangy yet mild sauce – it makes the chicken tenders simply splendid !!
Lemon Glazed Chicken
4 servings
210 calories per serving
1 ½ lb. chicken cutlets or tenders
½ t salt
½ t pepper
3 T lemon juice
Pam
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves minced
½ c fat free chicken broth
2 T chopped parsley
1 t cornstarch
¼ c water
Season chicken with salt and pepper and 2 T lemon juice then place in a heated skillet that has been sprayed with Pam and cook 5-6 minutes each site or until browned then remove from pan and keep warm. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan and cook 4 minutes then add the rest of the juice, the broth, and the parsley. Mix 1 t cornstarch with ¼ c cold water and add to the mix. Simmer and stir to thicken sauce and then return chicken to the pan. Cook 3-5 minutes or until heated through.
It’s a salad in a pita ! And a mighty good one at that !
Veggie Pitas
4 servings
260 calories per serving
2 T oil
1 T vinegar
1 t grated lemon zest
1 t oregano flakes
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
Salt to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper
¾ c chopped romaine lettuce
½ c finely chopped tomato
½ c finely chopped English cucumber
¼ c chopped black olives
¼ c crumbled low fat feta cheese
4 6 inch pita pockets, sliced
Mix oil, vinegar, zest, oregano, garlic and cayenne. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and mix well then spoon mix into pita breads.
This is a quick dish that is nothing but good ! Orzo, one of my favorite pastas + super low cal shrimp + a lemony garlic sauce. Super yummy !
Garlic Shrimp with Orzo
4 servings
383 calories per serving
1 c whole wheat orzo
2 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 teaspoons butter, divided
1 1/2 lb. frozen shrimp (peeled and cooked)
1 T minced garlic
2 T lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
Cook orzo according to package instructions, drain and then add parsley, 2 t butter, salt and pepper. Melt 4 t butter in skillet and add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Then add shrimp with a bit of salt and pepper. Work in batches if you pan is not large enough. Cook until shrimp is heated through. Add lemon juice at the very end of the heating. Add lemon zest to orzo. Serve shrimp over orzo.
Use tart plums if you don’t want this dish to be too sweet. Fruity yet savory and plums just go so well in fruited dishes !
Pork and Plums
4 servings
287 calories per serving
1 T oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into thin, short strips
1 T plus 1 ½ t cornstarch
1 carrot thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. plums cut into ½ inch slices
1 c chicken broth
2 T plum jam
1 T cider vinegar
1 T soy sauce
½ t ground ginger
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Mix pork with 1 T cornstarch and rub it in. A good way to do this is place both in a Ziploc bag, seal and then mush it around repeatedly. Cook the meat 5 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook the carrot, scallions and garlic for 1 minute and then add the plums and cook for another 5 minutes or until they start to get soft.
Whisk broth, jam, vinegar, soy, ginger and the rest of the cornstarch and pour into the pan and bring to a boil and cook 1 minute then lower the heat and place the pork back in the pan and cool 3 minutes or until all is heated.
The addition of beans makes this salad filling and add extra fiber to your meal. This is a great summer side that hits the spot.
White Bean and Tomato Salad
4 servings
167 calories per serving
1 T white vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 t Dijon mustard
1 drop Tabasco sauce
2 t oil
16 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 T chopped basil
1 T chopped parsley
1 scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ large red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and Tabasco and whisk while adding the oil. Combine beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, basil, parsley, scallions and garlic. Add the dressing and toss well to coat the cover and refrigerate ½ hour. Just before serving add salt and pepper to taste.
This makes a great side dish or a perfect appetizer served with Crostini bread or crackers. Every caponata you find is a little different – there are so many components that it is easy to get different versions. This one uses very little oil and is my absolute favorite. By pre-cooking the eggplant in the oven, you use much less oil and you won’t even miss it ! It has all my favorite things and has a great depth of flavor.
Eggplant Caponata
6 servings
149 calories per serving
1 large eggplant, trimmed, but not peeled and then cut into 1 inch cubes
½ t salt
2 t oil
2 c chopped celery
¼ c celery leaves, chopped
1 c chopped onions
½ c water
2 t minced garlic
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (including the juice)
2 T tomato paste
20 small black olives, chopped (you can use green if you prefer)
2 T white wine vinegar
1 t unsweetened cocoa
½ t black pepper
Kosher salt to taste
¼ c chopped basil
¼ c toasted pine nuts
2 t oil
Pam
To toast pine nuts, sauté in a hot, dry skillet for a few moments – until golden and aromatic. Place eggplant cubes in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with ½ t salt. Mix well so that all eggplant is salted. Then place a small plate or bowl on top of the eggplant and weight it by placed a canned product or some other heavy object. The salt and the weight will draw some of the bitter liquid from the eggplant and you will end up with a much sweeter tasting caponata. Let sit for an hour then rinse eggplant and pat dry. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam, and place eggplant on sheet in a single layer. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from oven and set aside.
Heat a skillet and add 2 t of oil. Also spray with a bit of pan and then sauté onions and celery on medium high heat until partially softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté a minute longer. Add ½ c water and continue cooking another 10 minutes. If the mix gets dry, add up to ¼ c more water to keep it moist. Add tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste and olives and cook on medium for 10 minutes until sauce thickens a bit. Add eggplant, vinegar, salt, pepper and cocoa and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in toasted nuts and 2 t oil. Serve room temperature or chilled.
I’m always looking for new ways to serve up green beans – the family loves them but it gets a little boring. Sprinkling with parm just before serving is a great way to prepare them !
Check out the online cookbook, Keep the Beat ™ (available in pdf format) for some great ideas for healthful food that kids will eat and they will enjoy preparing with you. Kids learn by example – show them how good healthy food can be !!!
Parmesan Green Beans
4 servings
95 calories per serving
1 T olive oil
1 t garlic, minced (about 1 clove)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 bag (16 oz) frozen green beans
1 c low-sodium chicken broth
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
¼ t ground black pepper
Combine olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook until garlic is soft, but not browned (about 30 seconds). Add onion, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until soft. Add green beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the beans are heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pepper, and serve.
