Category Archives: Dinner

Mini Chile Rellenos

August 2, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great Chile Relleno dish – it has all the flavor and so very little work. It is super easy to put together and turns out a perfect little cup of Mexican goodness.

4 servings
215 calories per serving

2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles, drained and patted dry
3/4 c frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c skim milk
6 large egg whites
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8 six ounce or 4 10 ounce ramekins (small oven safe glass or ceramic pots) with Pam and place on a baking sheet so you can remove them from the oven easily.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper and milk. Place the chiles on the bottom of the cups then add corn and scallions Sprinkle with cheese then pour in the egg mix. Bake 35-40 minutes or until eggs are set. The larger the ramekins, the longer these will need to cook.

Dinner, Mexican, Sides

Jazzed Up Refried Beans

August 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This dish is worthy of any Mexican restaurant out there ! The salsas give the beans a subtle flavor and the velvety consistency of the refried beans is a perfect side to all Mexican fare. Try serving with Mini Chile Rellenos for a great Mexican inspired night.

6 servings
159 calories per serving

16 oz. can nonfat refried beans
15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed
¼ c prepared salsa
¼ c prepared salsa verde
2/3 c shredded low fat sharp cheddar cheese
4 scallions, sliced
Pam

Preheat broiler. Mix Beans, refried beans, salsas and 1/3 c of cheese in a pan and cook until hot throughout and the cheese has melted. Turn into a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the scallions and broil 2 minutes or until cheese is brown.

Dinner, Sides

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

July 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

So different from your typical stuffed pepper – this is a great vegetarian recipe. These make a great dinner with a side salad. Or serve half a portion (1/2 a pepper) as a side.

4 servings
324 calories per serving

4 yellow bell peppers
1/2 c orzo
15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Pam
1 large shallot, chopped
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped coarsely
1 t oregano flakes
1 t garlic powder
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
½ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, (dehydrated, not the ones in oil), chopped
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Leave the stems on. Clean out the insides (seeds and membranes) and set aside. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Saute shallot for 3 minutes adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if they start to dry out. Take ¾’s of the chickpeas and roughly mash them. Add spinach to shallots and cook another minute. Add orzo, chickpeas, oregano, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and heat through. Add cheese and vinegar and stir well. Spoon mix into the pepper shells. Spray a baking dish with Pam and place peppers in pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover and bake 30 minutes.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Corn Salsa

July 30, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Perfect next to grilled fish, grilled chicken, burgers – – this corn salsa is so easy to put together and so refreshing on a hot summer night.

4 servings
105 calories per serving

1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 c frozen corn kernels, thawed (you can use canned, but the frozen tastes fresher)
½ can diced tomatoes, drained
2 T chopped cilantro
3 T lime juice
1/2 t cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all and serve immediately.

Chicken, Dinner

Tandoori Chicken

July 24, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Tandoori Chicken is an Indian dish with so much flavor. Though it is not cooked in a tandor as you would for authentic Tandoori chicken, this recipe is pretty darned good !

4 servings
152 calories per serving

1 ½ c plain low fat Greek yogurt
2 T grated onion (grate it just like you would a hunk of cheddar cheese)
1 T grated ginger
1 T vegetable oil
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground red pepper
1/4 t ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 t salt
Pam

Mix the yogurt and spices in a Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and seal and marinate in the frig for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and roast ½ hour. Turn on the broiler and cook 5 minutes or so to crisp it up.

Dinner, Italian, Vegetables

Skinny Eggplant Lasagna

July 22, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This dish is a cross between lasagna and eggplant rollatini (which is a dish often served as an appetizer and is eggplant rolled up around ricotta cheese and topped with pasta sauce – yum!). In this recipe, instead of rolling it up, I have layered it in a baking dish much like a lasagna would be made. The results – a skinny lasagna full of yummy cheese.

9 servings
142 calories per serving

2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin slices (1/4 inch thick)
1 jar (26.5 oz.) pasta sauce (I used Hunts Pasta Sauce for this dish)
1 ½ c fat free ricotta cheese
2 c fat free cottage cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
1 T chopped basil
2 t chopped parsley
4 T parmesan cheese
½ c fat free shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread ½ c or so of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Mix cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 2 T parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and parsley. Layer 1/3 of the eggplant slices to fully cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then spread half of the cheese mix on top of the eggplant slices. Cover with ¾ c of sauce then layer the next third of eggplant slices to cover the whole dish. Add the rest of the cheese mix and then another ¾ c of sauce. Finally add the last third of the eggplant slices to make the top. Spread the rest of the sauce over the top and then sprinkle with 2 T parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover and spread the mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake another 10 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly

Prime Rib Roast

July 20, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Prime rib is definitely not a low cal meat – but either in very small portions or having it on cheat day, I just gotta do it every so often. It has a flavor unlike any other cut of beef.

3 oz. serving = 250 calories

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub liberal amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder onto all sides of the roast. Place in a roasting pan and cook 20 minutes per pound for medium. Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Dinner, Fish, Kid Friendly

Lemon Shrimp

July 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This dish is great served warm or chilled. I use this as the ‘surf’ portion for my Skinny Surf and Turf – it is so flavorful and fresh ! Shrimp is so low cal – it makes a perfect dinner.

6 servings
146 calories per serving

3 T minced garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/4 lb. cooked shrimp

Heat skillet and add oil. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and parsley and heat 1 minute. Stir in shrimp and cook 1 minute to heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving.

Dinner, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Curried Cucs and Avocado

July 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.

3 servings
106 calories per serving

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced

Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.

Asian, Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Black Bean Broccoli

July 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I like broccoli – this recipe makes me LOVE broccoli. The black bean sauce is a perfect addition to crispy broccoli. The flavor is definitely Asian – so serve the next time you have an Asian themed menu.

4 servings
53 calories per serving

1 t sesame seeds
1/2 c water, divided
1 t rice wine vinegar, or white-wine vinegar
1 t cornstarch
2 t black bean-garlic sauce (readily available in the Asian section of your market)
2 t canola or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 c broccoli florets

Heat a small skillet on medium low and add seeds. Cook 2-3 minutes to toast and bring out the flavor. Set aside. Mix ¼ c water, vinegar and cornstarch then add black bean sauce and stir well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet and add garlic. Cook 30 seconds then add broccoli and stir well. Add ¼ c water to the pan, cover and steam broccoli 3 minutes. Then push the broccoli to the sides and pour the sauce in the center and stir a minute or so until it thickens then mix sauce well with the broccoli. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.