Tag Archives: bell pepper

Big Pot o’ Chili

Savory, hot chili – make it as spicy or as mild as you like. This one bulks up the veggies and uses turkey and very lean ground beef so it comes in at a low calorie count for a good sized portion. For 400 calories you can have a huge portion ! Try making this the next time you have a football party.

All the different tomato products used in this recipe have their own unique flavor and the combination of them is just perfect. But if you don’t particularly like one or another, feel free to substitute.

Cook this stovetop for hours to get that deep, rich, long simmer flavor – or you can cook this in the crock pot all day long while you are at work. Chili also does well in a pressure cooker. If you need instructions, just write to me and I’ll be happy to send you info.

Big Pot o' Chili
Big Pot o' Chili

20 servings
210 calories per serving

2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
20 oz. lean ground turkey
16 oz. very lean ground beef
5 ribs of celery, sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 t minced garlic
10 oz. mushrooms, chopped
15.5 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
15.5 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 15.75 oz. cans Campbells Pork and Beans (this addition really mellows out the tomato base)
28 oz. petite diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. fired roasted diced tomatoes
14.5 oz. stewed tomatoes
3 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (if you don’t like heat, remove this ingredient. If you like it very spicy, add more of this ingredient)
29 oz. tomato sauce
1 T salt
1 T pepper
2 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
5 T chili powder
3 t cumin
2 t basil flakes
2 t parsley flakes
3 t oregano flakes

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions, celery and green pepper and yellow pepper 15 minutes. Add the turkey and beef and continue cooking until meat is done. Be sure to break up meat into little pieces as it cooks. (if cooking in a crock pot, do this first step stove top in a skillet and then turn it all into a heated crock) Add garlic and mushrooms and stir. Add all spices and mix well. Bring to a boil them lower and simmer for 2-3 hours on a low heat. Stir occasionally and adjust spice during the last half hour of cooking. (if cooking in a crock pot, cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-6 hours)

The leftovers freeze well – so don’t be afraid of the huge serving size. You can also cut this in half and make 10 servings – just halve everything. Serve with low fat sour cream and low fat shredded cheddar as a garnish / topping.

Kidney Bean Salad

Very refreshing – very summery…it’s the perfect side to any grilled meat.

Kidney Bean Salad
Kidney Bean Salad

8 servings
150 calories per serving

2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 can red and one can white makes a nice salad)
10 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ½ small cans mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed well
1 medium green pepper, chopped
6 green onions, sliced
½ c light zesty Italian dressing
¼ c sliced almonds

Mix beans, tomatoes, oranges, peppers and onions. Add dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with almonds before serving.

Grill Basket Asian Pork

This is a nice light dinner that doesn’t skimp on the taste. The vegetables really keep their flavor when you cook them lightly like this. If you don’t have a grill, you can always broil this for 8-10 minutes and get great results. The splash of vinegar at the end helps to enhance all the flavors in the dish.

Grill Basket Asian Pork
Grill Basket Asian Pork

4 servings
243 calories per serving

12 oz. pork loin cut into bite sized pieces
4 c mix of broccoli florets, pea pods, halved mushrooms, red bell pepper strips
2 T oil
1 t Thai seasoning
¼ c green onions, sliced
1 t toasted sesame seeds
Splash of rice vinegar
Pam

Heat grill. Toss meat and 1 T oil. Mix veggies and 1 T oil and seasoning.

Spray grill basket with Pam and heat. Add meat and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add veggies and cook 6 minutes or until meat is done. Stir in a splash of vinegar. Serve topped with seeds and green onions.

Foiled O’Brien

Cooking the potatoes and peppers in a foil packet basically steams them and they come out a wonderful consistency and packed with flavor. Serve alongside 3 oz. of broiled steak or a 4 oz. chicken cutlet for a meal balanced with protein, veggies and that all mighty carb that keeps you feeling more full 🙂

Foiled O'Brien
Foiled O'Brien

4 servings
155 calories per serving

1 lb. red potatoes, washed and sliced thinly
2 c red bell pepper slices
2 c yellow bell pepper slices
6 T sliced shallot (regular onion will work here too)
Pam
2 cloves garlic, mashed
3 T chopped parsley
½ t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take 4 sheets of aluminum foil, each about 12 inches by 12 inches (about 1 inch longer and 4 inches wider than a sheet of paper) and place them on a flat surface. Spray each with a little bit of Pam. Divide the potatoes, peppers and shallots evenly among the foil sheets. Sprinkle with the minced garlic, parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Create a packet out of each by folding the foil sides up to make a tent and folding the edges over 2 times – then take each side and fold (roll) over twice and seal firmly so that the packet will say sealed keeping all the steam inside.

Place packets on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake ½ hour to 45 minutes. Open packets and transfer contents to plates. Be careful opening packets as they will be full of steam.

For more instructions folding, Reynold’s says:
For each foil packet, bring up the two sides of the foil and double fold with about 1-inch wide folds. Leave room for heat circulation inside the packet as the food cooks. Double fold each end to form the foil packet.

And the Scouts site has a nice diagram.

Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs

You know the drill – toss the skewers and throw this in a grill basket ! But I still call it a “Kabob” recipe so you can visualize it 🙂 The yogurt sauce is JUST PERFECT in this recipe. Serve with some cous cous on the side.

Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs
Curry Lime Chicken Kabobs

4 servings
261 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
½ c plain yogurt
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 t grated lime zest
2 T lime juice
2 T oil
1 T honey
1 T Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t curry powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
2 green bell peppers cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini in ½ inch slices
10 grape tomatoes
Pam

For the marinade, mix yogurt, cilantro, lime peel and juice, oil, honey, mustard, garlic, curry, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a zip loc and pour in the marinade and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Heat grill and spray a grill basket with Pam. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally so that all sides of the meat and veggies get browned.

Teriyaki Grill Basket

Throw away those kabob skewers and get a grill basket – it makes cooking small pieces of things on the grill a snap ! Just cut it up, marinate and then throw in the grill basket. It’s like stir frying on the grill and you get a great even cook on all the bits.

Teriyaki Grill Basket
Teriyaki Grill Basket

6 servings
244 calories per serving

1/3 c soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1 T brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t ground ginger
1 t seasoned salt
Pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
12 whole fresh mushrooms
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
12 cherry tomatoes
Pam

Mix soy, oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, pepper and salt. Place chicken pieces in a Ziploc bag and pour over the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. During the last hour, add the veggies to the bag. Heat grill and spray a grill basket with high heat Pam. Cook veggies and chicken until chicken is done.

Turkey and Stuffing

This was sooooo good – it’s like Thanksgiving dinner without all the work. I use the scallopini cut of turkey cutlets so they are nice and thin and you can cook them up quickly so they don’t get dried out. Add a small green salad on the side and you have a great balanced meal that makes the day feel like a holiday 🙂

Turkey and Stuffing
Turkey and Stuffing

4 servings
390 calories per serving

4 slices fresh turkey breast (3/4 lb.)
½ c chopped green pepper
2 T water
2 c fat free chicken broth
12 oz. fat free turkey gravy
3 c dry cubed seasoned stuffing
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Spray a skillet with Pam and on medium high heat cook turkey breasts sprinkled with salt and pepper; cook 4 minutes each side or until turkey is golden then remove from skillet and keep warm. Combine pepper and water in pan. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Add gravy, reserving ¼ cup for later use, Add broth to skillet and bring to a boil and then remove skillet from heat. Stir in stuffing and mix well then return turkey to the pan. Cover and let stand 5 minutes and then our extra gravy over the top and serve.

Lemony Orzo and Tuna

This is one of the pasta salads you will make again and again. The added protein from the tuna makes this a great complete meal, or you can serve as a side to any salad for a great lunch or light dinner.

Lemony Orzo and Tuna
Lemony Orzo and Tuna

6 servings
256 calories per serving

3/4 c orzo
1/2 t grated lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 T oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t minced garlic
½ t red pepper flakes
1 c drained and flaked tuna fish
1/2 c diced English cucumber
1/2 c chopped red bell pepper
1/3 c scallions, sliced into thin rings
1 T sliced basil
1/2 c crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain, rinse to stop the cooking process and place in a bowl. Mix lemon zest, oil, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, pepper and mix with the pasta. Add fish, cucumber, pepper and scallions and mix well. Place and sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Mediterranean Salad

This is all the good stuff out of the salad and leaves the lettuce behind. Crisp, refreshing and a great summer salad.

Mediterranean Salad
Mediterranean Salad


8 servings
109 calories per serving

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 green pepper chopped coarsely
1 red or 1 yellow pepper chopped coarsely
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, and chopped coarsely
½ of a small cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1/2 c fat free Italian dressing
2 T chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 low fat mozzarella sticks, sliced into small rounds

Mix all together and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Parmesan Veggies

The cheese just melts into the marinade and really coats all the veggies – every bite is so full of flavor 🙂

Parmesan Veggies
Parmesan Veggies

8 servings
60 calories per serving

2 zucchini cut into ½ inch thick slices
2 yellow squash cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 red pepper cut into strips
1 green pepper cut into strips
1 yellow pepper cut into strips
1/3 c light Italian dressing
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
Pam

Spray a skillet with Pam and heat to medium high. Add veggies and sauté 5 minutes. Add dressing and cheese and continue cooking 5 minutes or until veggies are desired tenderness (I like mine pretty crisp).

Related Posts with Thumbnails