Category Archives: Dinner

Thai Chicken

December 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Just the right amount of heat, tons of flavor and a dish I will make again and again ! This authentic Thai Chicken recipe combines the sweetness of coconut milk sugar and ginger with the heat of hot chile sauce, onions and garlic and turns out a flavor popping meal.

4 servings
403 calories per serving

3.5 oz. bag boil-in-bag rice
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 T cornstarch
1 T fish sauce
4 t oil, divided
1 c sliced onion
2 t garlic, minced
1 t ginger, minced
1/2 c light coconut milk
2 t Sriracha (hot chile sauce available in the Asian section of your grocer)
1 T sugar
1 T fresh lime juice
2 T chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

Cook rice according to package instructions and keep warm. Mix starch and fish sauce and then toss with chicken. Heat 1 T oil and sauté chicken 6-8 minutes them remove to a plate and keep warm. Add 1 t oil to pan and cook onion, and sauté 3 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Put chicken back in the pan and cook 1 minute them add coconut milk, chile sauce, sugar and lime juice and cook a minute to heat through. Plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve with a lime slice.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Sauteed Escarole with White Beans

December 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I have a lot of recipes pairing white beans and escarole – but this one is just a bit more – this one adds extra veggies and the dish is totally different than plain old sautéed escarole. The creamy texture of the beans just goes great with the crisp zucchini and corn.

4 servings
210 calories per serving

2 heads escarole, rinsed well and chopped
2 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and cut into julienne strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c frozen corn kernels , thawed
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
Pam

Heat a large skillet and spray with Pam. Add escarole and cook 6 minutes to wilt. Remove and set aside. Cook bacon 2 minutes then add zucchini and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook 1 minutes. Add back the escarole then mix in parsley, beans, salt, pepper, garlic powder, vinegar and oil. Toss well and serve.

Crock pot, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork

Crock Pot Pork Loin

November 30, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This tenderloin comes out juicy and tender after cooking all day. There is nothing quite as convenient as a crock pot ! The onion soup mix holds all the flavor you need to make this a family favorite.

6 servings
291 calories per serving

2 lb. pork tenderloin
1 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
1 c water
3/4 c red or white cooking wine
3 T garlic, minced
3 T soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place meat in crock and sprinkle with the soup mix. Add water, wine and soy and turn the meat to coat it. Spread garlic on top of roast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on high 4 hours or low 7-8 hours. If you like the top to be brown, broil for a few minutes before slicing.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Broccoli AuGratin

November 28, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I like when you can take a healthy vegetable and disguise it enough that you can get a picky kids to eat it 🙂 This one has enough cheese and crumbly topping to make it disappear !

8 servings
120 calories per serving

3 c water
2 c baby carrots, cut in half
4 c broccoli florets (very small pieces)
10 whole wheat Ritz crackers, crushed
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T butter, melted
4 oz. light Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 oz. light cream cheese

Preheat broiler. Boil water and add carrots. Simmer for 8 minutes then add broccoli and simmer another 3 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl.

Microwave Velveeta and cream cheese on high 1 minute then stir and cook another 30 seconds or until completely melted. Pour on top of veggies. Mix crackers and parm and butter and sprinkle on top of the veggies and cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown the crumbs.

Chicken, Crock pot, Dinner

Chicken Marrakesh (Crock Pot)

November 25, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I love being able to throw together a meal in the morning and not think about it again until it’s time to put it on the table. Chicken Marrakesh is a great dish with the subtle flavors of cuisine from Morocco.

8 servings
290 calories per serving

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
15 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground turmeric
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t black pepper
2 t parsley flakes
Salt to taste
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, chick peas, and chicken into a slow cooker. Stir herbs into tomatoes then pour tomatoes over and stir well. Cover and cook on high 5 hours or low 8-9 hours.

Dinner

Roasted Pepper Sauce

November 23, 2011 admin Leave a comment

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.

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.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Corn Salsa

November 21, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This can be eaten as a side, or use in smaller portions as a salsa over the top of broiled fish or chicken. Very savory, very easy to put together and very healthy !

4 servings
58 calories per serving

4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 c corn kernels (frozen and thawed or fresh)
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno or ¼ of a green bell pepper, chopped finely
¼ c fat free zesty Italian dressing
Squirt of lime

Mix all together and chill at least 1 hour.

Dinner, Fish

Quick Whitefish and Vegetables

November 20, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Fish smothered in diced veggies. What a great pesto flavor shines through for using so little of it. This was an awesome meal and it is very quick to prepare !

4 servings
180 calories per serving

4 4 oz. tilapia or other white fish filets
1/4 c low fat Italian dressing, divided
1 T pesto (prepared pesto is available in the refrigerator section at your grocer)
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
3 T chopped basil or parsley
Pepper to taste

Brush fish with half the dressing and sauté 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add veggies, pesto, pepper and the rest of the dressing and sauté 5-7 minutes or until slightly tender. Garnish with basil or any other fresh herb.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Green Beans and Pepitas

November 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is one of THE best veggie side dishes I have made in a long time. I bought a bunch of pepitas to make them for snacks and then came up with some other great ways to use them – this is one of the best ! The flavor and texture of the pepitas goes so well with the beans and the very simple seasoning. This is a special one !

6 servings
121 calories per serving

1 pound green beans
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 c pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
Kosher salt
Pepper to taste
1 t rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced

Boil water and add some regular salt and cook beans 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Heat 1 T oil in a skillet. Saute pepitas until they start to brown and pop, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remove to a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil and cook garlic and rosemary 30 seconds. Add beans and pepitas and cook 2 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dinner, Sides

Cheesy Stuffed Potatoes

November 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Whether you serve these as a dinner side, a snack or an appetizer, you’ll be in love. Cheese and potatoes are just meant to go together !

16 servings
142 calories per serving (1 serving = ½ potato)

3 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (equaling roughly 8 potatoes)
1 c milk
1/3 c light sour cream
1/4 c low fat buttermilk
1 c shredded fontina or swiss cheese
1/4 c finely chopped chives (or 1 t dried chives)
2 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste
6 T grated parmesan cheese
paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean potatoes and pierce them then bake one hour or until tender. Let cool a bit and then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the flesh leaving a shell and about ¼ inch of potato on it. Preheat your broiler at this point. Mix the scooped out flesh with milk, sour cream, buttermilk, salt and pepper then stir in the fontina, chives and butter and place potatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with parm and paprika. Broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese is all melted.