Category Archives: Dinner

Cayenne Shrimp

May 11, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The seasoning here is JUST PERFECT. Not overpowering, but definitely not bland. It was one of those meals that was JUST RIGHT.

4 servings
220 calories per serving

2 c cooked instant rice
1 lb. shelled, cleaned, raw, medium sized shrimp
2 T buttery spread
1 t paprika
½ t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 T lemon juice
Pam

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium high heat and spray with Pam. Add shrimp and cook 5-6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat to medium low and add spread, paprika, salt and cayenne and stir well to coat shrimp. Add lemon juice and mix well. Place rice on dishes and spoon shrimp over to serve.

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Kid Friendly, Pasta

Fettucine Carbonara

May 10, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Once again, FiberGourmet Pasta makes it possible to have a serving of this PLUS a side and that makes me a happy camper 🙂 This carbonara is very tasty and without any oil, it comes in at just 300 calories per serving. Enjoy !

4 servings
300 calories per serving

8 oz. FiberGourmet fettuccine noodles (without FiberGourmet pasta, you have to add another 80 calories per serving to this)
2/3 c fat free chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz. Canadian bacon, in thin strips
3 c sliced mushrooms
1 c frozen peas
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
2 T fat free sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a boil then add onion and cook 3 minutes. Then add the bacon and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes or until mushrooms are very soft. Add the peas, salt and pepper and heat through and then stir in the cheese and sour cream. Cook pasta according to directions and serve with sauce.

Dinner, Lunch, Salads, Sides

Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

May 9, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Did somebody say BACON???? Hehehe The bacon in this dressing gives the dish a nice rich flavor. But mostly what you taste here is the ground mustard. If you’re a mustard fan, then you will love the taste of this potato salad.

6 servings
153 calories per serving

2 lb. red potatoes cut into large chunks
2 strips bacon chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T cider vinegar
3 T apple juice
1 T stone ground mustard
¼ c parsley chopped
1/8 t salt
2 scallion, thinly sliced

Steam potatoes 20 minutes or until tender then cool for 10 minutes. Cook bacon 3 minutes and then add onion and garlic and cook until crisp then reduce heat to low and add vinegar, juice, mustard, parsley and salt and cook 2 minutes. Pour over the potatoes and toss well. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork, Summer

Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic

May 7, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Sometimes simple is the best. And pork chops are just great simply sprinkled with garlic and grilled. Here I added a dollop of My Salsa Verde for only a few extra calories. It gives the meat some extra moisture and a whole lotta extra flavor.

4 servings
135 calories per serving

4 4 oz. boneless pork chops
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder

Preheat grill. Place chops in a dish and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle with minced garlic and a bit of water to help keep them moist. Cool 5 minutes per side or until done.

Dinner, Fish

Cilantro Lime Fillets

May 5, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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.

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.

Crock pot, Dinner, Pasta, Sides

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

May 4, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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 !

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.

Dinner, Pork, Summer

Grilled Ham and Pineapple Salsa

May 3, 2010 admin Leave a comment

If you don’t have a grill, just pan fry or broil the ham. But whatever you do, don’t skip the pineapple salsa – it was just marvelous !

6 servings
140 calories per serving

Salsa:
8 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
2 T orange marmalade
1 T chopped cilantro
2 t chopped jalapeno pepper
2 t lime juice
¼ t salt

Ham:
1 1 ½ lb. slice pre-cooked ham slice

Heat grill. Combine all salsa ingredients and set aside. Grill ham 10-15 minutes or until heated through – then top with salsa and serve immediately.

Dinner

Meal Plans – Let Me Count the Calories for you !

April 29, 2010 admin 2 Comments

Sometimes it’s hard to put together a meal. There are a lot of pieces to put together. You have to:

put together a balanced, nutritional meal
picture different flavor combinations so you know how they will mix
come in on target for your calorie allotment

Here I’ve put together some suggestions for you. The dinners come in under 400 calories and are balanced meals that taste good when all put together on the same plate.

Enjoy !!

MEAL PLAN 1

Stuffed Shells Florentine

Artichoke and Tomato Salad

MEAL PLAN 2

Roasted Chicken

Home Fries

Garlicky Side Salad

MEAL PLAN 3

MEAL PLAN 4

Chicken, Dinner, Italian, Pasta

Penne Chicken Primavera

April 29, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The ranch dressing adds a nice kick of flavor to the chicken and then mellows out the creamy sauce in this primavera. I have lots of recipes gathered up for primavera and this is one of my favorites 🙂

4 servings
395 calories per serving

8 oz. uncooked FiberGourmet Penne pasta (without Fiber Gourmet, you have to add 80 calories per serving)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized pieces
1 oz. package dry ranch dressing mix
1 T buttery spread
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. frozen vegetable mix (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
1 c skim milk
¼ c low fat cream cheese
½ c shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Place chicken and dressing mix in a zip loc bag and shake to coat it well. Melt spread and cook garlic one minute then add chicken and cook another 4 minutes to brown it some. Add veggies, cover and cook 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stir in milk mix and cream cheese. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly then add pasta and parmesan cheese.

Beef, Crock pot, Dinner

Slow Cooked London Boil

April 29, 2010 admin 1 Comment

This is best done in an oval 5 quart crock so the meat fits well. The meat becomes so, so tender, you can cut it with a fork. This is a great meal for busy weekdays – it takes on 10 minutes to prep and then you can be out all day and come home to a great hot meal. To make it a more complete meal, throw in some baby carrots to cook along with the potatoes and onions. Like many crock pot recipes, the potatoes can come out looking a bit rough – but let me tell you, they taste GREAT and they melt in your mouth !

8 servings
320 calories per serving

3 lb lean London broil
2 T flour
1 T mustard
1 T chili sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t cider vinegar
4 potatoes, sliced
2 onions, sliced
½ c water

Place meat in crock. Pour water around meat. Make a paste of the flour, mustard, chili sauce, Worcestershire and vinegar and rub over the meat. Add potatoes and onions. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours.