Tag Archives: Lunch

Sesame Beef Wrap

July 10, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Part sandwich wrap, part egg roll – this is a great lunch or dinner wrap packed with flavor and crunch.

1 serving
335 calories per serving

1 large size 100 calorie wrap
3 oz. leftover lean beef (such as filet mignon or sirloin) sliced very thin
1 c shredded cabbage
½ t minced garlic
¼ c green bell pepper, sliced very thin
½ of a large rib of celery, sliced thin
2 T light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (by Kraft)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Add peppers and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water along the way to keep the veggies moist. Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Add beef and cabbage and continue cooking 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and then place it all in your wrap and roll it up. Here’s a link to a video that shows you how to wrap them up securely

Dinner, Lunch, Soups

Cheesy Broccoli and Bean Soup

July 3, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This sure doesn’t taste like it’s only cooked 8 minutes – it tastes much more like a soup that has been prepped and cooked for hours. The depth of flavor is fantastic. It has a bright and vibrant broccoli taste that is mellowed by the beans and cheese. Very, very good ! This is quite a good serving size – you can easily move this to 5 side servings and have this next to a salad or sandwich.

3 servings
220 calories per serving

14 oz. vegetable broth
1 c water
1 lb. broccoli florets
14 oz. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Boil water and broth in a saucepan. Add broccoli and cover the pan and cook 6 minutes then add the beans, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Place half the soup in a blender with ½ c of the cheese. Puree and place in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining soup and cheese.

Dinner, Lunch, Pasta, Sides

Low Fat Mac Salad

July 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

When you add in a lot of veggies to bulk up mac salad, you can really bring down the calorie count and this one is so creamy !

16 servings
121 calories per serving

8 oz. multi grain pasta, uncooked
3 c small broccoli florets
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 c low fat mayo (I like using the olive oil one!)
1/4 c low fat sour cream
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T red vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

Cook pasta according to package instructions and add the veggies into the water during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and then drain well. Add mayo, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mustard and stir well then add eggs. Chill at least 3 hours so the flavors mingle.

Appetizers, Lunch

Pita Rounds with Mushrooms and Cheese

June 29, 2011 admin 1 Comment

Want a great quick lunch or a perfect appetizer? Try one that you are seeing at all the lunch cafes – a goat cheese pita pizza. This one adds and mushroom and tomatoes for an out of this world flavor.

4 servings
283 calories per serving

1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 t oil
4 6-inch pita breads (I love the Sahara Pitas)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 oz. portobello mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
1/3 c goat cheese
1/2 c chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the garlic and oil and then brush over the pitas. Add tomato slices and mushrooms then sprinkle with the cheese then with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with basil when done cooking.

Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey Melt

June 27, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Hot turkey and gravy out of the oven are good enough along – but add in bacon and cheese and you definitely have a winner ! I can’t believe this is only 293 calories – it tastes so decadent.

4 servings
293 calories per serving

8 slices wheat bread (45 calories per slice or less) toasted
1 lb. sliced cooked turkey
1/2 c water
1 c condensed low fat Cream of Mushroom soup
1 c shredded low fat sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices lightly cooked turkey bacon

Preheat broiler. Lay toast on a baking sheet and distribute turkey slices among bread. Mix water and soup and heat thoroughly. Spoon heated soup over turkey and sprinkle with the cheese and then top with bacon. Broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Fish, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Tuna Pitas

June 16, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Serve up your tuna in a pita and it just become a whole different animal ! This is one of my favorite ways to eat tuna – with lotsa celery bits. But if you don’t like celery, substitute chopped up pickles or onions. The addition of the lemon pepper seasoing gives this extra special flavor !

1 serving
373 calories per serving

6 oz. light tuna packed in water, drained
2 T light mayo
3 T chopped celery
½ t onion powder
¼ t salt
¾ t lemon pepper seasoning
1 Sahara Pita bread (or any other brand that comes in at 170 calories or less)

Mix tuna, mayo, celery, salt, onion powder and lemon pepper. Spoon into pitas and serve.

Dinner, Lunch

White Boboli

June 14, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Stock up on Bobolis when they go on sale and you always have a great dinner ready to go – I add some sauce and layer mine up with all the different leftovers from the week. This time I skipped the sauce and did a ‘white’ boboli using up left over ricotta and spinach. It was scrumptious !

6 servings
206 calories per serving

1 Boboli shell
½ c sliced canned mushrooms
½ c packed with baby spinach leaves
1 c broccoli florets
1 c part skim ricotta cheese
½ t garlic powder
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes
Oregano flakes
Parsley flakes
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread ricotta cheese over Boboli leaving a ½ inch edge. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Lay spinach leaves on top of cheese and then layer on the mushrooms. Finally add the broccoli florets then sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Cut into 6 pieces.

Chicken, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Hot Chicken and Swiss Sandwich

June 6, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Sometimes serving a sandwich hot makes it sooooo much more special. This is one of those times. The melted swiss just gives it a whole other dimension.

1 serving
295 calories per serving

1 small club roll
4 slices thin sliced deli chicken breast (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
1 t light mayonnaise
1 t mustard
¼ t parsley flakes
¼ t basil flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayo and mustard and spread on bread. Add chicken and cheese and sprinkle with the spices. Wrap in foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add spinach leaves and enjoy !

Asian, Fish, Lunch, Soups

Asian Soup with Shrimp

June 3, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Such a great Asian inspired soup ! This makes a great lite lunch and all the veggies and shrimp really fill you up – it’s amazing, but you CAN feel full after just 125 calories !!

6 servings
125 calories per serving

6 c fat free chicken broth
1 c water
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
16 oz. package frozen Japanese style vegetable blend
3/4 lb. peeled and cleaned shrimp
1/4 c sweet rice wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ t sesame oil
3 T soy sauce
2 T lemon juice

Bring broth, water and ginger to a boil. Remove ginger and discard. Add veggies, shrimp, rice wine, soy sauce, spices and lemon juice. Cook 6-7 minutes and then add the sesame oil and serve immediately.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken and Pasta Salad

May 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I love orzo and it is great in cold pasta salads. The goat cheese really melts in from all the lemon and it gives the whole dish a great flavor. Very satisfying !!

4 servings
275 calories per serving

¾ c orzo
¼ t grated lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 T oil
½ t Kosher salt
1 t minced garlic clove
¼ t pepper
1 c shredded grilled boneless skinless chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
½ c cubed English cucumber
½ c chopped red bell pepper
½ c sliced scallions
½ c crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Mix lemon zest, juice, oil, salt, garlic and pepper and mix with the orzo. Add chicken, cucumber, peppers, and onions. Garnish with goat cheese and serve.