So easy to make – this takes just a few minutes. And the results are SUPER ! There will be lots of yummy noises as your group eats this one up. Serve with low cal crackers.
Broccoli Cheddar Dip
18 servings
72 calories per serving
10 oz. package frozen broccoli
8 oz. Cabot low fat sharp cheddar, grated
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T milk
1 t Tabasco sauce
1/2 t pepper
Microwave broccoli in a partially covered dish 8-10 minutes. Add cheddar, cream cheese, tabasco and pepper. Recover and microwave 1-2 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Stir until smooth. Serve immediately with crackers.
I am betting you can smell this cooking from all the way over there ! The parmesan and cheddar cheeses blend to perfection and the pasta…well, it just feeds the soul. The portion size will be cut down dramatically to come in at 400 calories if it were not for the FiberGourmet pasta.
Veggie Mac and Cheese
4 servings
399 calories per serving
10 oz. Fiber Gourmet Penne pasta
2 t oil
1 9 oz. yellow summer squash halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 9 oz. bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
4 scallions sliced thinly
1 bottled roasted red peppers, rinsed and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T flour
2 ½ c skim milk
¾ t salt
1 c grated no fat cheddar cheese
¼ c parmesan cheese
Pam
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat and add squash, scallion, artichokes, peppers and garlic. Cook 7 minutes. Add flour and stir well and then gradually add milk. Add salt and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the hot veggies and sauce to the pasta along with the cheddar cheese and mix well and turn into an 11×7 baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake ½ hour or until hot and crusty.
This recipe makes up a wonderfully flavorful sauce – anything with bacon is good in my book !
Spaghetti Carbonara
2 servings
300 calories per serving
4 ounces uncooked FiberGourmet spaghetti
1/2 cup skim milk
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
1/3 c chopped pancetta or thick cut bacon (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain reserving ¼ c of the cooking water. Mix milk, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam then sauté pancetta 3 minutes. Add onions and garlic and continue cooking another 5 minutes until onion is browned. Reduce heat to medium low and add milk mix and spaghetti to the pan. Whisk egg in a bowl and add the reserved cooking liquid stirring constantly so egg does not start to cook. Gradually add to pan stirring constantly and cook 4 minutes on low until sauce is thick.
A Monte Cristo Sandwich is dipped in egg and fried – this version adds LOTS of gooey Gruyere cheese (the kind you find on top of French Onion Soup). If you prefer a milder cheese, switch to Swiss or cheddar.
Monte Cristo Sandwich
4 servings
350 calories per serving
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T fat free mayonnaise
8 slices Italian bread (1 oz. each) I recommend that you get a kitchen scale – it takes out the guess work !!
6 oz. deli ham, thinly sliced
1 c shredded Gruyere cheese (substitute Swiss or cheddar or jack if you don’t like Gruyere)
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 c Egg Beaters
1/4 c skim milk
Pam
Combine mustard and mayo. Spread each of 8 slices with an even amount of the mix. Then layer 4 slices each with ham and cheese. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and cover with other 4 pieces of bread. Combine eggs and milk. Dip both side of each sandwich in the mix. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and spray with Pam. Cook sandwiches 3 minutes each side or until lightly brown.
What a splendid soup ! Subtle fish flavor, remarkably good broth, and just the perfect lunch on a cold, blustery day. Fish chowders made with delicate white fish are such a nice change from clam chowders. They are definitely milder and the consistency is just right.
Fish and Potato Chowder
4 servings
307 calories
2 slices bacon
3 c red potato, diced (or I used canned diced potatoes)
1 c chopped onion
3 T flour
16 oz. clam juice
2 c skim milk
1 T chopped thyme (or 1 t thyme flakes)
½ t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 t onion powder
12 oz. skinless halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces (or other firm white fish)
2 T chopped parsley
Cook bacon in soup pot until crisp them remove, cool and crumble. Reserve 1 T of the drippings in the pan and add potato and onion and cook 5 minutes. Then add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add clam juice and bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender (less time is needed if you use canned potatoes). Add milk and simmer (do not boil). Add spices and fish and cook 3 minutes or until fish is done. Stir in parsley at the very end and garnish bowls with crumbled bacon.
Potatoes, cheese and sour cream – they are just meant to go together ! The little bit of baking gives the potatoes a nice crispy crust and this is a great side to anything – especially a grilled meat such as Grilled Chili Rubbed Sirloin.
Mashed Potato Bake
3 servings
185 calories per serving
24 oz. potatoes, peeled and quartered (you can use the frozen Oreida Steam and Mash here for a quick alternative)
2 oz. low fat cream cheese, cubed
1/4 c low fat sour cream
1 T skim milk
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t salt
¼ t pepper
Pam
ICBINB spray (I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil them reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Mash the potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients then place in a 13×9 baking dish sprayed with Pam. Spray with a few spritzes of ICBINB. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.
Caramel Latte Pops
6 servings
46 calories per serving
2 c skim milk
3 shots of espresso, cooled
2 T caramel sauce
Whisk together espresso and milk. (if you like a sweet flavor, add some Equal or Splenda). Then pour into the base and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). Just before eating, drizzle the pops with caramel syrup.
Poaching fish in milk makes for a delicate and mild fish dish. It is simple to put together and so elegantly perfect.
Milk Poached Fish
4 servings
158 calories per serving
4 5 oz. tilapia filets
2 bay leaves
3 T fresh lemon juice
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Skim milk (enough to cover the fish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fish in a shallow baking dish. Cover with milk. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon and bay leaves. Cook fish 20-25 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Add a layer of healthy spinach, use low fat cheese and FiberGourmet pasta and quickly you have a healthy alternative and a fan favorite 🙂
Baked Mac and Cheese
4 servings
366 calories per serving
3 T breadcrumbs
1 t oil
½ t paprika
20 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 c skim milk, divided
3 T flour
2 c shredded low fat extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1 c low fat cottage cheese
1/8 t nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces FiberGourmet penne or elbow pasta
Pam
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with Pam. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika. Squeeze out spinach in a colander so it is very dry. Mix ¼ c milk with flour. Heat 1 ½ c milk until steaming and them whisk in the rest of the milk and continue whisking until it is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar until melted. Then stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook pasta about 4 minutes (do not cook all the way or it will be too mushy after it bakes). Mix pasta and cheese and place half of it in the baking dish. Then add the spinach and top with the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix and then bake 30 minutes or until golden.
