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Hi, my name is Aileen and it’s great to see you here sharing my blog. I have been cooking since I was a teen. My Mom put a home cooked meal on the table every night and so do I (it’s a challenge when you work full time, but it is well worth it!). I love food – I love making it, I love eating it. I love how it brings people together. My most favorite thing to do is share a meal with family and friends. And we often end up talking about other food while we are eating this food. There’s pretty much nothing I can’t make, though I really prefer cooking savory meals to baking. I have made it all from scratch at one time or another and still cook mainly this way. I have a discerning palate and a taste for spicing things just the right way. My recipes are definitely not bland and that helps when creating satisfying meals – your mouth knows it ate after it’s done with one of my meals  I am one of 5 Neon Pigs, a self named group of foodies. How did we get the name? We decided it was sooooo appropriate because everything right in the world exists in a BBQ joint with a neon pig hung in the window  I was blessed with a great metabolism and for years and years ate anything I wished without gaining an ounce. From 35 forward I gained a few pounds here and a few pounds there and then after age 40 my metabolism came to a screeching halt and I could just not get off the weight that had compounded with just plain exercise. A drastic plan was needed….so here I am, 40 something and trying to make my world right by creating recipes that satisfy yet still fall into a healthful lifestyle that I know I will have to now forever follow if I want to maintain a healthy body.

Pasta Salad with Tuna

Always a favorite at BBQ’s, this pasta salad with tuna adds a healthy bed of spinach to the dish and the flavors mixed extraordinarily well.

Pasta Salad with Tuna
Pasta Salad with Tuna

4 servings
260 calories per serving

2 c uncooked Fibergourmet rotini pasta (using regular pasta, you add 80 calories per serving)
2 6 oz. cans fancy white albacore tuna canned in water, drained
¼ c finely chopped green onions
2/3 c frozen peas, thawed
2/3 c low fat creamy Italian salad dressing
1/8 t pepper
4 c fresh spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Add flaked tuna, onions, peas, dressing and pepper and mix well the chill for at least 2 hours. To serve, place spinach on plates and top with pasta salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Homemade Hot Pockets

Even your kids won’t recognize the carrots inside so why not boost their veggie intake ?!? And for us adults, it just makes the meal more nutritious without sacrificing any of the flavor. This is definitely a great lunch paired with a side salad.

Homemade Hot Pockets
Homemade Hot Pockets

4 servings
265 calories per serving

10 oz. can refrigerated pizza dough
¼ c pizza sauce
¼ c finely shredded carrot
24 turkey pepperoni slices
1 T fat free grated parmesan
1 t garlic powder
1 t oregano flakes
2 slices fat free mozzarella cheese (1.5 oz), cut in half

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into a 12×12 square and then cut into 4 equal squares. Spread 1 T sauce on each square leaving about ½ inch border then top with carrot, pepperoni, garlic powder, oregano, and cheeses and fold each in half and press edges to seal them then bake 12-15 minutes on an ungreased sheet.

Zucchini Frittata

Frittatas make great breakfast, brunch and lunch fare. If you’ve never had one, they are basically crustless quiches. This one is has a great flavor and by using Egg Beaters, you end you with quite a low cal, low fat meal that still packs a very rich flavor.

Zucchini Frittata
Zucchini Frittata

6 servings
71 calories per serving

1 ½ c Egg Beaters
½ c shredded low fat swiss cheese
¼ c skim milk
½ t garlic powder
¼ t pepper
Pam
1 c shredded zucchini
1 medium tomato, chopped
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

Combine eggs, cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper. Spray an oven safe skillet with Pam and on medium high heat cook the zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms until tender. Then put in egg mix and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes or until almost set. Remove the lid and place under a hot broiler for 2-3 minutes or until done. Cut into wedges like a pie and serve immediately.

Grapefruit Mousse

Because of the egg white contribution to this recipe, it almost tasted more like a thinner meringue than it did a mousse. But whatever the name, it was creamy, grapefruity and sweet yet tart.

Grapefruit Mousse
Grapefruit Mousse

4 servings
181 calories per serving

½ c 2% cottage cheese
¼ c low fat vanilla yogurt
3 T grapefruit juice
2 T honey
1/8 t kosher salt
2/3 c sifted powdered sugar
¼ c egg whites
1 c plus 2 T chopped fresh or jarred grapefruit pieces (drained well)
1 t mint leaves for garnish

Process cottage cheese, yogurt, juice, 1 T honey and salt in a blender until smooth. Beat powdered sugar and egg whites to stiff peaks (about 7 minutes). Fold cheese mix with egg whites and 1 c grapefruit – do not over mix or the fluffiness will deflate. Mix remaining 2 T grapefruit with 1 T honey for a garnish. Divide mouse into cups and garnish with grapefruit mix and mint.

Pop Chips and Dip

Pop Chips are these amazingly good chips that are popped (much like popcorn) rather than fried or baked. They are low cal, healthy and delicious and I am so hooked ! And there is nothing like a good onion dip – people always want my recipe for this one and can’t believe it is so simple. (It’s great with chips, pretzels, cut up bell pepper strips, celery)

Pop Chips and Dip
Pop Chips and Dip

1 serving
170 calories per serving

1 100 calorie bag of Pop Chips
6 T low fat sour cream
2 t dry onion soup mix

For dip mix 3 T low fat sour cream with 2 t dry onion soup mix.

Pop Chips – an awesome snack coming in at only 100 calories for a nice portion bag.

Toasted Clubs

A big meaty, juicy, tasty sandwich just doesn’t seem like it can fit into a 400 calorie per meal diet – but it does ! And this one is sooooo tasty. Bacon, avocado, mayonnaise, dill, meat, cheese – you just can’t go wrong !!

Toasted Clubs
Toasted Clubs

2 servings
328 calories per serving

2 T fat free mayo
¼ t dill weed
1/2 t lemon juice
1/8 t pepper
4 slices whole wheat toast
4 slices thin deli roast beef
4 slices thin deli ham
2 slices low fat provolone or swiss cheese
2 lettuce leaves
2 tomato slices
2 bacon strips cooked and crumbled
¼ c alfalfa sprouts
¼ c avocado sliced

Combine mayo, dill, juice and pepper and spread over the toast. Add the sandwich meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and bacon and the top with the avocado slices.

Cilantro Lime Fillets

Cooking the fillets in foil pretty much steams them and it is so very easy to do. This is a nice mild way to serve fish and I think the preparation would do just as well on meaty fish steaks such as tuna or swordfish.

Cilantro Lime Fillets
Cilantro Lime Fillets

4 servings
143 calories per serving

4 4 oz. cod, tilapia or flounder fillets
¼ t pepper
1 ½ t oil
1 ½ t dried onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ t ground cumin
2 T minced cilantro
1 lime peeled and thinly sliced
1 T margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place each fish fillet on a piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle with pepper. Heat oil and add onion flakes and garlic and cook 1 minute them add cumin and place the mix over the fish. Sprinkle fish with cilantro and add a few lime slices to each fillet. Fold the foil over securely so the fish can steam and place the packets on a baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes.

For instructions on 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.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato

Alone, with bacon, with tomato – – however you make it, if you make grilled cheese, I’m there ! Served next to tomato soup, it makes a great lunch.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato
Grilled Cheese and Tomato

1 serving
110 calories per serving

2 slices 45 calorie bread
2 slices tomato
2 slices Kraft fat free singles
20 sprays I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
Pam

Spray pan with Pam and heat – make sure pan is good and hot on medium high heat. Make sandwich of the bread, tomato and cheese. Spray outsides of the sandwich with 5 sprays (per side) each of ICBINB. Place in pan and cook 1-2 minutes or so each side, or until brown and cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

It’s great to have a crock pot mac and cheese recipe – it’s a side dish that can be paired with just about anything and sometimes a crock pot recipe with a long cook time is just so convenient !

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

7 servings
170 calories per serving

2 ½ c skim milk
¼ c Egg Beaters
1 t salt
½ t pepper
3 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
8 oz. macaroni, cooked al dente

Combine all except macaroni and cook on high 1 hour. Add macaroni and cook on low 4 hours.

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