These little crustless tarts make a great side dish to lunch or dinner. Very cheesy, very chic

Spinach Tart

8 servings
124 calories per serving (serving=2 tarts)

16 oz. frozen spinach
3 egg whites
12 oz. 2 % cottage cheese
1 c shredded part skim mozzarella
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t black pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put spinach in a colander and rinse with hot water until thawed. Using your hand or the back of a spoon, press it down firmly to drain all the water out of it. Mix egg whites, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese and then add spinach and mix well. Spoon mixture into 16 muffin / cupcake cups sprayed with Pam. Bake 35 minutes.

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.

Sometimes ‘simple’ is the best way. And these are certainly simple to prep, yet they taste anything but simple !

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

4 servings
52 calories per serving

4 c Brussel sprouts with the tops and outer leaves trimmed
Pam
2 t oil
1/4 c kosher salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place Brussel sprouts in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Drizzle the oil over the sprouts and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

The lemon and lemon zest are what make this dish so special – it is unexpected paired with pasta but once you taste it, you definitely want more. And in my opinion, orzo is one of the best pastas out there – I love it in side dishes, in soups, in casseroles, any way it is served

Tomatoes and Orzo

5 servings
202 calories per serving

1 c uncooked orzo
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 T oil
1 T lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Cook orzo 9-11 minutes in boiling water. Drain and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

This is one of those dishes that has everyone at the table making yummy noises The cinnamon and cardamom are a FANTASTIC addition to the grapes. And the yogurt is really just a way to get the spices to stick to the fruit. The gingery goodness of the cardamom really makes this dish so be sure to add it in. Serve it as a dessert, a snack or a side dish.

Grape Salad

4 servings
70 calories per serving

¼ c low fat vanilla yogurt
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cardamom
1 c seedless green grapes halved lengthwise
1 c seedless red grapes halved lengthwise

Combine yogurt, cinnamon and cardamom – then mix in grapes and toss to coat. Cover and chill.

Get those MUFAs into your diet to help with your weight loss ! Avocado is a great way to achieve this.

Simple Avocado Salad

1 serving
165 calories per serving

½ c sliced avocado
1 T low fat Zesty Italian Dressing

Mix it all up and serve next to soup or a light sandwich.

Whether you’re slicing avocados for sandwiches, salads or snacks, it’s nice to have pretty slices rather than gouged out chunks. Avocados are not the easiest things to work with – but they are well worth the work! Nothing tastes quite like an avocado. And there is now a kitchen tool out there that takes all the hard work out of it. Just slice your avocado in half, remove the pit, and then use the tool to do the rest. I made a quick video so you can see how they work.

And here is a link to buy one on Amazon !

The saltiness of the kalamata olives makes this salad very tasty !

Tomato Salad with Olives

6 servings
60 calories per serving

2 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c mixed olives (I use a mixture of black and kalamata)
Zest of one lemon
2 T olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

Mix all the ingredients and let sit ½ hour for the flavors to mingle.

This one is a great side dish. It’s tasty and something a little different than usual. You might even get the kids to eat zucchini

Zucchini Fritters

4 servings
155 calories per serving (serving = 2 fritters)

2 c shredded zucchini (use a cheese grater – the same size you would use to shred cheddar cheese)
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese (not grated, shredded)
1/3 c shredded onion
1/4 c Egg Beaters
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t black pepper
2 t oil, divided

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Heat 1 t oil. Spoon 1/2 of mix by quarter cupfuls into pan. Press down a bit with the back of a spoon to make sure each fritter holds together well. Cook 2 minutes each side. Repeat with the second batch.

This is a great, crisp side dish that can be paired with just about anything. I bet it can even get cabbage by your kids Add a teaspoon of chili sauce with garlic (found in the Asian section of your market) to make this a super spicy dish.

Stir Fried Bok Choy

4 servings
87 calories per serving

2 t peanut or olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh ginger
¼ c chicken broth
¼ c water
1 red bell pepper in small ¼ inch squares
2 carrots halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 c 1 inch strips of bok choy or Napa cabbage
1 t sugar
½ t salt
2 t sesame oil

Heat oil in a skillet on medium low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute then add the broth and ¼ c water and cover and cook for 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and carrots and cook 1 minute then add the cabbage and mix well. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and cook 5 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Drizzle with the sesame oil (and optional chili and garlic sauce) and serve immediately.

I love side dishes the combine a carb with veggies – it’s one less dish to have to prepare. And this one has orzo, which is one of my most favorite small pastas. It’s a perfect side dish !

Mushroom and Zucchini Orzo

4 servings
197 calories per serving

1 c uncooked orzo
Pam
1 c mushrooms, chopped
1 c zucchini, diced
T butter
½ t garlic powder
1/2 t oregano flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet and spray with Pam. Saute mushrooms and zucchini 6-8 minutes. Mix pasta, mushroom mix, butter and spices.