Tag Archives: Italian dressing

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.

Cucumber and Radish Salad

This is a crisp salad with the ultimate pairing of zesty dressing and feta cheese. The olives are just a bonus 🙂

Cucumber and Radish Salad
Cucumber and Radish Salad

7 servings
90 calories per serving

4 large cucumbers
8 radishes, thinly sliced
½ c low fat crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomato
1/3 c low fat zesty Italian dressing
1/3 c pitted kalamata olives

Peel the cucs (optional) and cut into thin slices. I like to use English cucumbers as they are basically seedless. Toss cucs with the radishes, cheese and olives and dress the salad.

Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwiches

This is a sandwich that makes your mouth happy 🙂 The combination of the Cajun flavoring on the chicken along with the roasted red pepper and pepperoncini is just perfect. This one is a sure crowd pleaser and cut into strips, would make a great appetizer.

Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwiches
Grilled Cajun Chicken Sandwiches

1 serving
330 calories per serving

2 slices Italian bread
1 ½ t light mayonnaise
6 slices Cajun spiced deli chicken breast (if unavailable, sprinkle roasted deli chicken with some Cajun seasoning)
3 strips jarred roasted red peppers
1 small pepperoncini pepper sliced
1 no fat cheese slice (Kraft Singles are nice and creamy!)
2 t lite Italian dressing

Brush the outside of the sandwich with the dressing and cook in a skillet 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Spread mayo on bread and then add all the ingredients.

Baked Fish and Chips

Shake and Bake fans will love this one. Both the fish and the potatoes get a coating so the meal is crisp, the fish stays nice and moist, and the potatoes (‘chips’) are just a little different. This is crunchy goodness !

Baked Fish and Chips
Baked Fish and Chips

4 servings
280 calories per serving

2 large baking potatoes cut into 8 wedges each
1/4 c light zesty Italian dressing
1 pack extra crispy Shake n’ Bake
1 lb. tilapia filets (or any other white fish)
1/4 c light mayo
Pam

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix potatoes with dressing and dust with ¼ c of the Shake n’ Bake. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and add the potatoes and bake 25 minutes. Spread mayo on fish and then dredge in the rest of the Shake n’ Bake to coat them evenly. Place fish in a wire rack sprayed with Pam and place that in the oven and bake 15 minutes or until done.

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).

Simple Avocado Salad

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

Simple Avocado Salad
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 !

Couscous Greek Style

Add a little feta cheese to an already great side and you end up with an outstanding side dish that is sure to please.

Couscous Greek Style
Couscous Greek Style

6 servings
190 calories per serving

1 c whole wheat couscous, uncooked
1 ¼ c water
1 c halved cucumber slices
1 large tomato, chopped
4 oz. crumbled low fat feta cheese
1 t dill weed
1/2 cup light Italian Dressing

Cook couscous in boiling water without any butter or oil. When done, cool 15 minutes and then add in the rest of the ingredients.. Refrigerate to chill.

Broccoli and Cheese

A nice zesty way to serve up your broccoli !

Broccoli and Cheese
Broccoli and Cheese

6 servings
70 calories per serving

4 cups broccoli florets
3 T water
1/4 c Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 c low fat mozzarella cheese

Place broccoli and water in a glass bowl and microwave 5 minutes or until somewhat tender then drain and toss with dressing and cheese. Serve immediately.

Barley Salad

This is a great healthy side salad that is sure to please. It’s nice to find *different* sides and this is definitely one of them !

Barley Salad
Barley Salad

6 servings
189 calories per serving

3/4 c barley, uncooked
1 ½ c frozen corn, thawed and roasted
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 c zesty fat free Italian dressing
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T lime juice
Pam

Preheat broiler. To roast corn, spray a baking sheet with Pam and place corn on sheet. Broil 3-4 minutes or until it begins to blacken. Cook barley as directed. Spray a baking dish with Pam and roast corn 5-10 minutes or until starting to blacken. Let cool. Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate one hour so flavors mingle.

Creamy Beef Dinner

This is like a cross between a stroganoff and a goulash – very, very good and quite satisfying. The cream sauce is just delicious 🙂

Creamy Beef Dinner
Creamy Beef Dinner

4 servings
390 calories per serving

1 T oil, divided
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/2 t pepper
3 c whole wheat egg noodles, uncooked
1/4 c Light Zesty Italian Dressing
2 onions, chopped
1/2 lb. Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T minced garlic
1 T paprika
3/4 c beef broth
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c light sour cream
1 small tomato, chopped

Heat 1 ½ t oil in a skillet and add beef. Sprinkle with pepper and brown meat 2 minutes. Work in batches with the rest of the meat and oil so as not to overcrowd the pan and make sure meat is patted dry – these 2 things will help make sure it browns nicely. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Heat dressing in skillet and add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and paprika and cook 12 minutes. Stir in broth and peas and simmer 2 minutes then add meat and cook 5 minutes to heat through. Stir in sour cream at the very end and serve over noodles with the tomato sprinkled over the top.

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