Simple does not always mean plain. This is a simple soup of just a few ingredients, but it turns out a restaurant class meal – classic flavor and perfectly mild spicing.

Celery Root Soup

4 servings
180 calories per serving

2 T butter
1 c thinly sliced leek
1/2 c carrot, finely chopped
2 T white wine
3 c peeled and cubed celery root (about 3/4 pound)
3 c chicken broth
1 c water
1/2 t coarse salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 3/4 c cooked wild rice
2 T fresh chives, chopped finely

Melt butter in soup pot. Add leek and carrot then cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 minutes or until tender. Add wine, celery root, broth, 1 c water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then cover and cook 10 minutes. Place 1 c soup mix in a blender and blend until smooth then add back to soup pan and add rice. Cook 15 minutes. Garnish with chives just before serving.

At only 160 calories, make this one often ! The lite buttermilk, lemon and wine is a nice change from your typical mayo and vinegar dressing. The flavor is right on and this will definitely satisfy your potato salad craving.

Light Potato Salad

12 servings
160 calories per serving

4 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c dry white wine
4 T lemon juice
½ c low fat buttermilk
¼ c low fat mayo
1 T Dijon mustard
1 c packed basil leaves sliced very thin
Cilantro for garnish

Add cold water to potatoes to cover them by 2 inches, cover and bring to a boil then add 1 t salt, recover and reduce heat to medium low and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Add wine and 1 T lemon juice them toss and cool to room temperature.

Whisk buttermilk, mayo, mustard, ¼ t salt, pepper and 3 T lemon juice. Blend well and then toss with potatoes and basil.

Verde is ‘green’ in Spanish and this dish is VERY green. The processed parsley and green onions put a great color on these shrimp. This is one of those restaurant worthy dishes – and it only takes minutes to prep ! Cut out the bread and you cut out tons of calories here – shrimp are very low cal !!

Shrimp with Verde Sauce

3 ½ T oil
6 garlic cloves
1 c chopped green onions
1 c chopped flat leaf parsley
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
2 ¼ lb. large shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1/3 c dry white wine or chicken broth
6 oz. French bread in thin slices (more than ½ MB bread tub – 26 slices)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place oil and garlic in food processor and process until garlic is fine then add onions and parsley and process again. Place in a bowl and add salt and peppers. Add shrimp and mix to coat. Place in a shallow roasting pan and add wine. Bake 7 – 10 minutes or until done. If the shrimp are not in a single layer, you may want to stir halfway through to ensure even cooking. Serve with bread for dipping in extra sauce.

Rustic and earthy is the way I would describe this dish. The pepitas, capers and tomatoes just make this dish what it is – very special. This would be a great meal to make for guests.

Tilapia with Pepitas

4 servings
180 calories per serving

2 T pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
4 4-ounce tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c dry white wine
1 T butter
1 1/2 T capers, drained and rinsed
1 c grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 c chopped basil
Pam

Toast the pepitas very briefly (do not let them brown) in a hot skillet. Remove and set aside. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and spray a baking sheet with Pam. Broil fish 3-4 minutes.. Heat oil and butter on medium heat and saute tomatoes and capers 2 minutes. Add lemon and wine and simmer 1 minute. Add fish (browned side up) and baste with sauce. Remove fish to a plate. Add basil, pepitas, salt and pepper to pan and saute 30 seconds. Spoon over fish and serve immediately.

This is great served on top of any simple grilled beef, chicken, pork or fish but I personally think the sweetness of the red peppers pairs the best with a simple roasted chicken.

Roasted Pepper Sauce

6 ¼ c servings
46 calories per serving

4 medium red bell peppers, washed, cored, cut in half and seeded
1 ½ c no fat chicken broth
½ c white wine
1 T chopped basil
2 T margarine
¼ t salt

Preheat broiler and place peppers skin side up on a baking sheet lined with foil. Cook 15 minutes or until blackened. Cover and let cool 15 minutes. The skins should now peel off easily. Blend peppers, broth and wine until smooth and then place in a saucepan with the basil. Bring to a boil and the reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Then add margarine and salt and stir until melted. Cover and keep warm. You can also refrigerate this and just reheat individual portions in the microwave.

The ginger and lime flavors were very subtle in this dish – you can definitely dial them up if you want a more robust dish. But the subtlety was very nice and when combined with the great scallop flavor, this made a great seafood dish. The rich sauce made with butter and cream is soooo lovely !

Ginger Lime Scallops

6 servings
224 calories per serving

1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 c unsalted chicken broth
2 T minced shallots
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/4 t grated lime peel
1 1/2 lb. scallops
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/4 c whipping cream
Pam

Mix wine, broth, shallots, ginger, and lime peel in a skillet and boil uncovered until reduced by half. Stir in cream and boil until reduced to 3/4 c. Over medium heat add butter and incorporate into sauce. Keep warm. Rinse scallops and pat dry.. Spray scallops and another skillet with Pam. Saute scallops 7 to 10 minutes or until done. Pour sauce onto a warm platter lay scallops in sauce. Serve with optional brown rice (add 120 calories for each ½ c rice).
G

The broth for this soup is just perfect – it is satisfyingly creamy without being too much. The veggies are just enough. And the rice makes it really stick with you. It is a great lunch soup and reheats well. Be sure to not skip the wine and lemon juice – just the little bits make a big difference in the taste of the broth !

Creamy Chicken Rice Soup

6 servings
218 calories per serving

½ c chopped carrot
1/3 c finely chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
2 T butter
¼ c flour
6 c chicken broth
2 c cooked rice
1 c cubed cooked chicken
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1 c 2 % milk
2 T lemon juice
1 T white wine

Saute the carrot, onion and celery in the butter until tender then mix in flour and gradually stir in the broth. Mix in rice, chicken, salt, pepper and garlic powder and bring to a boil the reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the milk, lemon juice and wine and cook 5 minutes or until heated through.