Tag Archives: side

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.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Brussel Sprouts Gratin

June 24, 2011 admin Leave a comment

B A C O N. Bacon makes everything better and this is no exception. So tasty !

6 servings
133 calories per serving

2 slices hickory smoke bacon (or use regular bacon and ad a drop of ‘smoke’ flavor seasoning)
4 shallots, thinly sliced
2 lb. brussel sprouts, halved
1 c water
½ t kosher salt
¼ t pepper
Pam
2 oz bread crumbs
3 T butter

Preheat broiler. Cook bacon until crisp then remove from pan, cool and crumble. Add shallots to bacon drippings and sauté 4 minutes. Add sprouts and 1 c water and bring to a boil then cover pan loosely with some foil and continue cooking 6 minutes or until tender. Add salt and pepper and mix. Melt butter in a small pan and add breadcrumbs and some salt and sauté to toast the crumbs. Add bacon crumbles to breadcrumbs. Turn sprouts into a baking dish sprayed with Pam and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix. Broil 3 minutes.

Dinner, Italian, Sides

Quick Risotto

June 21, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This consistently turns out an awesome risotto textured dish yet takes so little time to make ! Be sure to use Arborio rice or it just won’t turn out tasting like risotto.

4 servings
179 calories per serving

1/3 c chopped shallots
1 T butter
2/3 c Arborio rice
2 c water
1 t chicken bouillon powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c frozen peas
¼ c grated parmesan cheese

Heat butter and cook shallots until tender. Add rice and cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in water, flavoring, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in peas and let stand covered 5 minutes. If not a creamy texture, add in some water. Finally stir in parmesan cheese.

Dinner, MUFAs, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Tomato and Avocado Salad

June 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The wonderful texture of flavor of avocado shines through in this simple recipe. As well as tasting delicious, avocados are full of healthful MUFAs. This time I used all sliced Campari tomatoes for this salad – they are so sweet !

4 servings
161 calories per serving

2 lbs. assorted tomatoes, sliced (green tomatoes, grape tomatoes, heirlooms, etc. – whatever you have)
1 avocado, sliced
1 T Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 T chopped cilantro or parsley.

Mix all except avocados in a bowl – then add avocado and gently mix so that avocados do not break up. Serve immediately.

Dinner, Mexican, Sides

Chorizo Beans

June 13, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Chorizo is Mexican sausage much like Kielbasa is Polish sausage and Andouille is Cajun sausage. It is delightfully spicy and lends its rich flavor to any dish you add it to including this great side dish made with beans.

4 servings
179 calories per serving

1 t oil
4 oz. chorizo, halved and thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ lb. wax beans or green beans
¼ c water
4 t sherry vinegar
½ c chopped parsley
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Heat oil and cook chorizo until crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add shallot to pan and cook 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Then add beans and water, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer 6-8 minutes. Add sausage to pan with vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Onion Blossom

June 11, 2011 admin 1 Comment

My family declared that this tastes better than the Blooming Onion at Outback – that has a bajillion calories while this…only 70 per serving 🙂 If there are any leftovers save them for soups, mixing with potatoes, etc.

4 servings
70 calories per serving

1 large Vidalia onion
2 T A.1. Steak Sauce
3 T grated parmesan cheese
½ t kosher salt

Peel onion and cut partially into 6 wedges – do not cut all the way down , just get close to the bottom. Place on a sheet of foil and loosen the layers so that the sauce and cheese will sink in. Drizzle with the steak sauce and sprinkle with cheese and salt then wrap rightly and grill for 40 minutes. Alternately place foil pouch on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for an hour or until desired tenderness.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Gruyere Cauliflower

June 5, 2011 admin 1 Comment

How completely decadent this is !!! The cheese sauce is just fantastic – I think gruyere and cauliflower were meant to go together. If you don’t like gruyere, swap out the cheese – but makes sure it is a harder cheese (less calories) and one that has a pretty distinct flavor – maybe a nice shaved romano or provolone.

6 servings
151 calories per serving

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Pam
1/2 t kosher salt, divided
2 t buttery spread
1/3 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
1/2 c onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T flour
2 c skim milk
3 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with Pam. Top cauliflower with salt and pepper and bake one half hour. Preheat broiler. Melt spread and stir in breadcrumbs then mix in ¼ c of the cheese and set aside.

Heat a pan and spray with Pam. Cook onion 5 minutes adding water if necessary to keep the onion moist. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add flour and cook 1 minute stirring constantly and then gradually add mill whisking constantly. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and continue cooking 3 minutes to thicken up the sauce. Remove from heat and still in the rest of the cheese, some salt and pepper, and the parsley. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and broil 3 minutes.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Corn and Broccoli

May 30, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The natural ‘sugariness’ of the corn and the addition of a little bit of sugar make this a very sweet dish. It was just great served next to a mild flavored broiled pork chop. If you prefer less sweet, just leave out the sugar and this will still turn out a great side dish !

6 servings
133 calories per serving

15 oz. can creamed corn
½ c Egg Beaters
2 t sugar
2 T flour
1 t salt
½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
10 oz. package frozen broccoli, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine corn, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and then fold in cheese and broccoli and place in a baking dish and bake 1 hour.

Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Cucumber Tomato Salad

May 27, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Always a great side – such a nice change from a regular green salad !

4 servings
70 calories per serving

4 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
½ c lite Zesty Italian dressing

Arrange all veggies on a plate and drizzle with the dressing.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Rice and Veggies – Very Cheesy !

May 24, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Another great dish where your veggies and your starch are all together in one place. This whips up quickly and is a great side to chicken and fish dishes.

6 servings
226 calories per serving

2 c hot cooked rice
¾ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
½ c egg beaters
¾ t garlic salt

10 oz. package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
4 oz. chopped mushrooms
½ c chopped green bell pepper
½ medium onion, chopped
1 c egg beaters
½ c skim milk
½ t onion salt
½ t pepper
½ t salt
4 oz. shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Pam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the first 4 ingredients and press into the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish sprayed with Pam. Steam the broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion for 5 minutes. Mix egg, milk, onion salt and pepper and stir into the veggies and pour it all over the rice crust. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.