Very cheesy, very veggie – this is a veggie dish that will really get the kids eating up !
Veggie Bake
6 servings
211 calories per serving
1 can 26 oz. Light Cream of Chicken Soup
2/3 c low fat sour cream
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t onion powder
10 oz. frozen veggie mix (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli), thawed
6 oz. frozen green beans, thawed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 c shredded Swiss cheese
1 c Stovetop stuffing mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup, sour cream, onion powder and pepper then stir in veggies, 1/2 c cheese. Turn into a 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Stir and then top with the rest of the cheese and the stuffing mix and bake 5 minutes uncovered.
This recipe transforms regular mac and cheese into a Mexican flavored side dish that is great next to a lean piece of chicken or fish.
Chili Cheese Macs
4 servings
290 calories per serving
7.25 oz. boxed Mac and Cheese dinner
1 c canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 c canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Make the mac and cheese according to the package instructions using margarine and skim milk. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat through.
I just made these again recently – what a great recipe ! I had the wrong calorie count on them and a reader helped me realize that – but I have updated taking into account the calorie count of the most popular brand of eggroll wrappers.
These eggrolls will soon be on your favorites list. Add 1/4 c duck sauce to the side for just an extra 60 calories. If you’re in the mood for some seafood try adding some cooked popcorn shrimp.
These make a great side dish, stand alone lunch, appetizer – – very, very versatile !
12 square eggroll wrappers (available in all grocery stores)
2 c shredded cabbage
1 c chopped onions
1/2 c shredded carrots
1/2 chopped bean sprouts (canned are fine)
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
2 T minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all the ingredients other than the wrappers in a frying pan sprayed with Pam and cook on medium high heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are softened a good amount.
Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Work with just a couple of wrappers at a time. Place wrappers on a DRY surface and place 2 spoonfuls of filling on each. Dip your finger in water and moisten all 4 edges of the wrapper. Fold sides in toward the middle. Then roll bottom up and around rolling until you have a fully done roll.
And here’s a video I just made so you can see how it’s done – it’s so easy !!
Seal the outside edge with a wet finger and place roll on the baking sheet. Finish up the rest of the rolls. Once all the rolls are complete, spray the tops with Pam. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
If you’re from the NY Metro area, then right away you know what I’m talking about 😉 But if you’re not, you’re probably scratching your head. Taylor ham is a very regional item – I have never found it anywhere other than the Northeast and only part of the NE ! It is a compressed product of pork and spices / flavorings. It comes presliced or in a roll like a big roll of bologna. It has a flavor like NOTHING ELSE. It is served as a side to eggs (like bacon or sausage) or on a roll. A BIG breakfast sandwich here is Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese on a hard roll. (Don’t even get me started about a HARD roll – in the NE it is a type of roll, it does NOT mean a stale roll – hehehehe).
I’ve skinnied up the extras so that this sandwich comes in at only 265 calories per serving. To my fellow NJ and NY peoples, enjoy 🙂 (those of you out of state will have to wait to you visit the area – when you do, be sure to try this incredible product).
Taylor Ham and Cheese
1 serving
265 calories per serving
2 slices light wheat bread (Stop and Shop has a great one that is only 35 calories per slice)
1 slice Kraft fat free singles cheese
2 thin slices Taylor Ham (pork roll)
Brown the pork roll in a hot skillet. Make a sandwich. Enjoy 🙂
(I cut into the pork roll a couple of times before frying – this helps it to not curl up during the cooking process).
You can taste the pepperoni in each and every bite and it makes this soup just a bit different from the usual minestrone. It’s a welcome change. All the veggies add up to a nice low cal soup that leaves plenty of calorie room open for adding a nice spoon of parmesan cheese 🙂
Very Veggie Minestrone
6 servings
206 calories per serving
1 T oil
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c beef broth
3 c water
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
1 t thyme flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2/3 c small pasta
1 lb. frozen mixed soup vegetables (including corn, peas, carrots, celery, onion), thawed and chopped
1 c frozen baby lima beans, thawed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c diced turkey pepperoni
3 c lightly packed escarole, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (not in calorie count above)
Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute peppers 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add broth, water and spices and bring to a boil then add pasta and cook according to package instructions minus 3 minutes. Mix veggies and beans and add to soup and bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, basil and escarole and simmer 3 minutes to wilt escarole. Garnish with cheese.
Yup – my friend poured these in a bowl, added milk, and had them like cereal – they’re just that good. They are so crunchy, so sweet, so awesomely good !
PB and Chocolate Chex
36 servings
90 calories
9 cups crispy rice and corn cereal squares
1/2 c peanut butter
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar
Melt chocolate in a saucepan then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and mix well being careful to not crush the cereal. Work in batches adding sugar to a large zip loc bag then adding the cereal and shaking to coat. Store in an airtight container.
Cheesy, spicy without being hot, cheesy, filling, – oh, and did I say ‘cheesy’? 🙂 I don’t know what is better in this meal, the perfectly spiced pork chops with the cheesy sauce or the cheesy rice ! Why don’t you decide 🙂
Zesty Mexican Pork Chops
4 servings
390 calories per serving
1 lb. boneless pork chops
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t oil
3/4 c white rice, uncooked
1 3/4 c water
1/2 c chunky salsa
3 oz. Velveeta 2 % cheese, cut into cubes
2 T chopped parsley
Sprinkle meat with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and cook chops 5 minutes or just until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add rice to skillet and cook 1 minute then add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 16 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in half of the salsa and half of the cheese and place the chops on top. Simmer 5 minutes. Melt the rest of the salsa and cheese together with the parsley in the microwave for 30 seconds then pour over meat and serve.
Just the perfect little spice cake with a great ginger icing to top it all off. These are sooooo tasty !
Gingerbread Cupcakes
12 servings
160 calories per serving
1 1/3 c flour
1 T ground ginger
1 t dry mustard
1 t baking soda
½ t cinnamon
¼ t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
½ c packed Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
¼ c molasses
3 T vegetable oil
2 egg whites
½ c low fat buttermilk
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (to make 2 t worth of juice)
½ c confectioner’s sugar
Pam
Preheat oven t 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan with Pam. On a sheet of wax paper combine flour, ginger, mustard, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Beat brown sugar and molasses and oil and once combined add the egg whites one at a time and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Alternately fold the flour mix and the buttermilk into the sugar mix beginning and ending with the flour. Spoon into the cupcake pan and bake 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.
Grate the ginger finely and squeeze to extract 2 t of juice. Combine juice with confectioner’s sugar and spread on the top of the cupcakes. (if too dry, add a t of more of water)
Cece Beans is just the Italian name for Chick Peas or what the Spanish call Garbanzo Beans – all the same thing 🙂 They are a great source of fiber, healthy and a great addition to many meals. This dish is somewhere between a soup and a pasta tossed with veggies – I guess it is like a gruel, though that has a negative connotation and there is NOTHING negative about this dish. It’s healthy, filling, has super flavor and is one of the best dishes I’ve made in a while !
Pasta and Cece Beans
6 servings
316 calories per serving
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 c sliced leek
1 t rosemary flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c water
4 c vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
¼ – 1 t red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
14 oz. cece beans, undrained
1 c diced zucchini
1/2 c frozen petite green peas
1/2 c frozen baby lima beans
1/2 c frozen green beans
2/3 c uncooked orzo
2 T chopped parsley
1/4 t pepper
2 T pesto (available in the refrigerated section of your market)
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a Dutch oven and cook onion, leak, rosemary and garlic 10 minutes. Add tomato, water, broth, spices, salt and pepper and ceces and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer ½ hour then add zucchini, peas and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil then stir in pasta and parsley and cook 8 minutes at a low boil. Spoon into bowls and top with 1 t pesto and 1 t parmesan.
Simple ingredients combined to make a perfect complete meal – chicken, potatoes, spinach and a few other yummy things.
Chicken Hash
4 servings
295 calories per serving
2 6 oz. chicken breasts (bone in)
2 t oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, in ¼ inch pieces
2 large shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T water
½ lb. spinach, chopped
Fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put chicken in a baking dish and drizzle with 2 t oil and season with salt and pepper and thyme. Roast 35 minutes or until done. Cut meat into bite sized pieces. Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water and cook 15 minutes or until tender. Heat 4 t oil in a skillet and cook shallots 3 minutes then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add potatoes and cook 7 minutes or until browned. Then mix in chicken and spinach and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt, pepper and some fresh lemon juice.
