Tag Archives: romaine

Creamy Caesar Salad

October 12, 2014 admin Leave a comment

This recipe gives you a really nice creamy dressing since you use mayo instead of eggs and oil. If you like it with a lot of bite, add extra anchovy.

8 servings
88 calories per serving

½ c grated parmesan cheese
½ c fat free mayo
¼ c lemon juice
2 t anchovy paste
2 t Worcestershire sauce
½ t pepper
¼ t dry mustard
5 large cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. fresh bread cut into cubes
4 head romaine lettuce in bite size pieces

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine 1.2 c water with cheese, mayo, lemon juice, anchovy paste, Worcestershire, pepper, mustard and garlic. Whisk well and set aside. Place bread pieces on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes to toast them. When done combine croutons and romaine and then dress and serve immediately.

Dinner, Lunch, Mediterranean, Sandwiches

Greek Chicken Pitas

May 16, 2013 admin Leave a comment

Greek food is so flavorful and fresh tasting. And many of the dishes are surprisingly simple to make. Using store bought tzatziki here is a time saver, but if you want to make it from scratch, it’s pretty easy. It’s just a mixture of plain Greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber pieces. You can skip the tzatziki if you don’t like it, then just substitute some hummus to add in more moisture.

4 servings
310 calories per serving

1 lb. chicken tenders
1 t Greek seasoning (mix of oregano, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/2 c tzatkizi
4 8 inch pita breads
2 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
Pam

Spray a large skillet with Pam. Heat on medium high and add chicken. Sprinkle with the seasoning and cook 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and done throughout.

Slice pitas so you will be able to fill the pocket. Add chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and tzatziki. I often slice the chicken up first so it gets more distributed throughout the sandwich.

Lunch, Mediterranean, Salads, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Veggie Pitas

September 29, 2011 admin Leave a comment

It’s a salad in a pita ! And a mighty good one at that !

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.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken Salad with White Beans

February 5, 2011 admin Leave a comment

FLAVOR EXPLOSION ! There are tons of bold flavors in this salad and dressing – and they mix to perfection ! Feta cheese, mustard, orange, radicchio, basil, feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes – – all mingling together to serve up a big, bold salad.

4 servings
398 calories per serving

Vinaigrette
1 clove garlic, chopped and mashed
¼ teaspoon salt
4 T oil
6 T orange juice
¼ c vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard

Salad
15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 ½ c diced cooked chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
2 c diced zucchini
1 ½ c cups diced celery
¼ c crumbled low fat feta cheese
¼ c chopped, sun-dried tomatoes (rinse them off in water and dry them with a paper towel first)
1 c coarsely chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c torn escarole or romaine
2 cups torn radicchio

Mash garlic with ¼ t salt and then whisk in the oil. Add juice, vinegar and mustard and whisk to combine. Add more salt if necessary. Prepare all salad ingredients and toss with dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken Salad with Artichokes

August 30, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Lunch salads don’t have to be the same boring thing day in and day out. This one has marinated grilled chicken and artichokes giving it a great Italian flavor.

2 servings
390 calories per serving

½ c lite Italian dressing
½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 c torn arugula
2 c torn romaine leaves or other greens
14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts
2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
½ c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves cut into strips

Pour ¼ c dressing over chicken and refrigerate ½ hour. Heat grill and cook chicken 6-8 minutes each side or until done then cut into strips. Combine arugula and lettuce and top with artichokes, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, basil and the rest of the dressing.

Lunch, Mexican, Salads

Black Bean and Corn Salad

August 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Nutritious, full of fiber, satisfying, filling, extremely portable – this is a great lunch salad.

4 servings
350 calories per serving

1 c frozen corn
½ c French dressing
2 t chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
4 c chopped romaine lettuce
2 c grape tomatoes, halved
¼ c sliced green onions
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 c coarsely chopped blue tortilla chips
¼ c chopped cilantro

Cook corn according to package directions then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Combine dressing with chipotle chilies. Combine corn, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, beans and cheese then add dressing and mix well. Garnish with chips and cilantro.

Chicken, Lunch, Salads

Chicken Cobb Salad

April 8, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Cobb Salads are one of my favorites – there are always lots of good substantial ingredients so you get filled up and the bacon flavor always permeates all the other ingredients. The goat cheese is a nice addition that you usually don’t find in a cobb salad.

3 servings
325 calories per serving

4 1/2 c shredded romaine lettuce
1 ¼ c cooked, shredded boneless skinless chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here)
2 hard boiled egg (yolks removed and whites chopped up)
1 tomato, chopped
2 T low fat crumbed goat cheese
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
½ avocado, diced
3 T chopped green onions
½ c fat free ranch dressing

Divide the lettuce on plates, arrange an even amount of each of the ingredients onto each plate and drizzle with dressing.

Salads, Sides

Mixed Greens with Avocado Dressing

March 25, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The avocado is unexpected and that makes it twice as good ! Mixed with the lemon and yogurt, this makes a very light yet creamy dressing.

4 servings
106 calories per serving

1 avocado, cut into chunks
¼ c plain low fat yogurt
½ t grated lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1 T water
½ t salt
4 c sliced romaine lettuce
4 c watercress or endive

In a blender mix the avocado chunks, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and 1 T water until smooth. Put dressing in a bowl and add greens and mix well.

Dinner, Italian, Salads, Sides

Anchovy and Bibb Lettuce

March 17, 2010 admin 3 Comments

This is sooooo close to my original Caesar Salad dressing and it is just a fraction of the calorie cost due to the reduction in oil and the removal of the egg yolk. This has that biting garlic and anchovy taste that makes a Caesar salad one of the best things on earth !

4 servings
45 calories per serving

2 anchovy fillets, mashed
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 ½ t lemon juice
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head Bibb lettuce (Boston, Romain or Green Leaf will also do nicely)
½ c packed parsley leaves

Whisk lemon juice, garlic and anchovies. Add in oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Tear lettuce and toss with dressing and parsley. To make the dressing preparation go quicker, drop the garlic and anchovies in a small food processor and process until well minced. Then add lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and process until frothy and well mixed.

Chicken, Lunch, Sandwiches, Videos

Healthy Wrap

March 9, 2010 admin Leave a comment

A little chicken, lotsa vegetables and lotsa flavor !

6 servings
289 calories per serving

2 c chopped cooked chicken breast
2/3 c thinly sliced red bell pepper
½ c thinly sliced English cucumbers
1/2 c sliced celery
1/2 c light ranch dressing
1/4 c crumbed goat cheese
4 c chopped romaine lettuce
6 8-inch fat free flour tortillas

Layer all the ingredients in tortillas, wrap and secure with a toothpick. Here’s my instructional video in how to secure a wrap so nothing leaks out the bottom.