Tag Archives: lime

Melon Pops

August 29, 2014 admin Leave a comment

The first batch of these did not quite hit the spot. With a little tweaking, the recipe has become a great chilly treat for a hot summer day. I usually make them two tiered with halves of both the cantaloupe and honeydew melons.

6 servings (8 oz. pops)
59 calories per serving

2 c diced honeydew melon
1/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 T honey
1 T Splenda

Mix 2 c of melon with yogurt, lime juice, honey, Splenda and zest and blend until smooth. Fill the pop molds, insert sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

Canteloupe – As a variation, replace honeydew with cantaloupe.

You may want to make both variations and make a layered melon pop. If you do this, freeze the first ‘layer’ for 1 hour – then add the second and insert the sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

Mexican, Salads, Sides, Summer

Corn and Avocado Salad

July 28, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Using just citrus means the dressing on this salad is nice and light. So even though you have higher cal avocados and corn, the salad is still a good side dish coming in at just 133 calories per serving. The avocado is what really makes this special – the creaminess blends so nicely with the corn and tomato !

4 servings
133 calories per serving

1 small 8.5 ounce can corn
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. Serve alongside many different dishes to bring a little spark and flavor – This is great next to chicken, fish, sandwiches, etc.

Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Citrus Tomatoes

July 24, 2014 admin Leave a comment

What a great flavor ! The orange gives these tomatoes a great fresh flavor. Try on your favorite heirloom or farmer’s market tomatoes for a great side dish so low in calories, but so big in flavor !

2 servings
36 calories per serving

2 T fresh squeezed orange juice
1 ½ t orange zest
1 ½ t lime zest
1 T lime juice
Dash if kosher salt
Dash of Tabasco sauce
2 small tomatoes, sliced
1 t fresh chives, sliced

Mix together all except tomatoes and chives. Plate tomatoes and drizzle with dressing. Then sprinkle with chives.

Dinner, Pork, Summer

Garlic and Lime Pork Tenderloin

July 18, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Pork just has such flavor ! And when you add garlic and lime you get a great marinade that can easily be adjusted to just your taste. I added a ton of garlic powder to mine and the tenderloin was just fantastic !

6 servings
160 calories per serving

2 ¾ lb pork tenderloins
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 T grated lime peel
1 T oil
2 t lime juice
½ t honey
¼ t salt
1/8 t pepper

Heat grill. Make small slits around the tenderloins and place slices of garlic inside them. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and brush over the pork. For extra garlicky goodness, sprinkle liberally with garlic powder just before cooking. Grill the tenderloins 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink.

You can also do this in the oven if you it is wintertime or you don’t have a grill. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place pork on a rack inside a baking pan. Place about ½ c of water in the bottom of the pan to help keep the pork moist during the longer cooking time. Cook 45 minutes to one hour flipping and re-basting during the halfway point.

Chicken, Dinner, Summer

Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs

June 16, 2014 admin Leave a comment

You know the drill – toss the skewers and throw this in a grill basket ! But I still call it a “Kabob” recipe so you can visualize it 🙂 The yogurt sauce is JUST PERFECT in this recipe. Serve with some cous cous on the side.

4 servings
261 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
½ c plain yogurt
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 t grated lime zest
2 T lime juice
2 T oil
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t curry powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 green bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini in ½ inch slices
10 grape tomatoes
Pam

For the marinade, mix yogurt, cilantro, lime peel and juice, oil, honey, mustard, garlic, curry, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a zip loc and pour in the marinade and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Heat grill and spray a grill basket with Pam. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally so that all sides of the meat and veggies get browned.

Drinks, Kid Friendly, Summer

Virgin Mojitos

June 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Mojitos are a GREAT summer drink. They are basically a lime and mint flavored drink – most often served with rum. But kids love the flavor, so make a batch of virgin mojitos without the rum – not only will the kids love them, but without the rum, the calorie count is seriously low. So get lotsa limes, lotsa mint and get ready to smile.

1 serving (12 oz.)
20 calories per serving

6 mint leaves
1 T Splenda or Equal
Juice of one lime
12 oz. can diet lemon lime side
Garnish with fresh mint and lime slices

Mull mint leaves and Splenda at the bottom of the glass with the handle of a wooden spoon. Add lime juice and stir. Pour in soda and stir well. Garnish with lime slices and extra mint.

Crock pot, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Mexican, Pork

Easy Pork Carnitas

March 1, 2014 admin Leave a comment

This is another great authentic recipe that cooks all day in the crock pot – it turns out a fantastically tender and juicy meat that is easily shredded and tastes great with a bit of lime and avocado.

4 servings
208 calories per serving

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 lime cut into wedges

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Rub spice mix into the pork.. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and add the broth then put the pork on top. Cover and cook on low about 10 hours, turning half way through. Remove and let cool then use 2 forks to shred the meat. Use the left over liquid to moisten the meat. Plate and squirt each portion with a bit of lime just before serving. I like to serve this on a flour tortilla with some avocado slices (not included in calorie count above – add 210 calories for a flour tortilla and 2 -3 slices avocado)

Crock pot, Dinner

Black Bean Chili (Crock Pot)

November 22, 2013 admin Leave a comment

This is one of the most awesome chili recipes I have ever made ! The depth of flavor was amazing. This is a truly authentic, rich, aromatic and spicy chili that is just plain PERFECT. Don’t forget the squirt of lime just before serving – it actually makes a big difference in the total package.

10 servings
280 calories per serving

1 lb. dried black beans, rinsed
1 T oil
1 T mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t cardamom seeds (or ground cardamom)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. jarred salsa verde (medium heat)
1/4 c water
4 c vegetable broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
½ t salt
2 T minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/4 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/2 c chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place beans in a bowl with 2 quarts of water and soak overnight. Mix oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom and place in a hot Dutch oven for 30 seconds to release more flavor then add in onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook 7 minutes then uncover and cook 15 minutes to lightly brown the veggies. Then add broth, tomato paste, salt and chipotles and mix. Place beans in a slow cooker and pour over the vegetable mix. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Place into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro and squirt with lime.

Dinner, Fish

White Fish with Lime Basil Pesto

May 22, 2013 admin Leave a comment

This pesto sauce is so incredibly flavorful that you will want to put it on everything. Usually pestos have nuts in them – the subtraction of the nuts leaves you with a lighter pesto and this one would go great with so many different dishes.

4 servings
226 calories per serving

1 c basil leaves
¼ c grated parmesan
½ t grated lime zest
2 T lime juice
1 ½ T oil
¼ t salt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 6 ounce sea bass fillets (or other white fish)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Mix basil, parm, lime juice and zest, oil, garlic and salt in a food processor until very finely chopped.

Spray a skillet with Pam and cook fish 3-4 minutes per side or until done. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with basil blend.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Mexican

BBQ Burritos (Pressure Cooker)

April 24, 2013 admin Leave a comment

Using a pressure cooker to cook the meat means you get a super, super tender shredded meat which is just perfect for a steak burrito. This is an exceptionally good meal. Serve with some avocado slices, no fat sour cream and salsa for even more flavor.

6 servings
350 calories per serving

1 lb. London broil or other lean sirloin steak
6 flour tortillas (80 calorie Smart and Delicious)
1 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium avocado, chopped
¾ c barbecue sauce
Pam

Marinade – mix together
1 5.5 oz. can spicy V-8 juice
2 T lime juice
1 T oil
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
½ t ground cumin
½ t chili powder

Pierce beef with a fork several times. Mix marinade and place in a zip loc – add the beef and coat well and then refrigerate 8-24 hours. Pressure cook mat for 1 hours. (you can also crock pot this for 8-10 hours). Let rest 5 minutes and then using 2 forks, shred the meat. Mix in a bit of the left over juices. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (don’t mistakenly set it on BROIL like I did and then burn the holy heck out of your first batch! Thanks for help with the recon mission, Lisa ! LOL) Microwave tortillas 30 seconds or so to warm them slightly. Place beef, cheese, onion, and tomato in each wrap and fold all four sides. Place folded side down in a baking pan sprayed with Pam. Brush with barbecue sauce and bake 4-6 minutes. Serve with a slice of avocado on the top. Optionally add sour cream and salsa for even more flavor.