This dressing was a super change from the ordinary vinegar dressing – the Dijon gave just enough tang to make the dish interesting without overpowering the flavor of the tomatoes. I am looking forward to farmer’s market tomatoes !
Marinated Tomatoes
8 servings
60 calories per serving
Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chopped oregano
2 T oil
1 T Dijon mustard
½ t salt
½ t pepper
½ t onion powder
This was a perfect meal to serve for guests – tasty, elegant, refined. It was also so perfectly seasoned with the dressing, rosemary and sundried tomatoes. This is one of those recipes that will be made again and again !
Rosemary Chicken with White Beans
4 servings
380 calories per serving
1/3 c low fat Italian dressing
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 oz. each)
¼ c water
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
¼ c chopped drained sun dried tomatoes in oil
1 t rosemary leave flakes
19 oz. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Heat dressing in skillet and cook chicken 5 minutes per side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium low and add water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and rosemary then cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in beans and cover and cook 5 minutes or until beans are warm.
Lentils are healthy and filling, but it seems you either like them or you don’t like them – – there is no in between. I think it’s because of the dry consistency. I am a lentil lover 🙂 If you’ve never had them, give them a try ! They’re in the bean family and they are very tasty.
Lentil and Corn Pilaf
7 servings
130 calories per serving
2 c water
1 c dried lentils, sorted and rinsed (sorted means taking out any small rocks or bad lentils)
1/2 c chopped red or orange bell pepper
1 c corn kernels
3 T chopped parsley
¾ t chili powder
½ t garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring water to a boil and add lentils. Reduce heat and cover and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are tender and if there is any water remaining, drain it the stir in the rest of the ingredients and cook on low 3-4minutes or until all is heated through.
Think Hamburger Helper without the hamburger 🙂 For the stroganoff flavoring and the noodles, I just used a box of Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. But then I substituted turkey and added a few twists. This one is really super good !
Turkey Stroganoff
4 servings
395 calories per serving
1 lb. lean ground turkey
½ t pepper
½ t salt
1 t gravy master
1 t dehydrated onion flakes
3 ½ c water
1 package beef stroganoff sauce mix
3 c uncooked medium egg noodles
½ c sour cream
½ c canned peas
Parsley for garnish
Cook turkey in a hot skillet on medium high heat until it is no longer pink. Toward the end add 1 t of Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet so that the meat gets browner and more resembles ground beef. Mix in salt and pepper, onion flakes, water, sauce mix and noodles and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Half way through, stir in the peas. Stir in sour cream and heat through on low heat. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
1 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
7 oz. salsa verde (found in the Mexican section of your food market)
2 c shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 c low fat cream cheese, softened
8 6 inch corn tortillas
Pam
1/4 c crumbled queso fresco (Mexican cheese) or 1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 t chili powder
salt
4 lime wedges
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
You can either start with precooked chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great), use leftover chicken, or boil 2 boneless skinless breasts and let cool a bit. Then shred using 2 forks. Alternately, you can just make very thin slices. Combine chicken with cream cheese. Combine onion, cilantro, garlic and salsa verde in a blender or food processor and mix well. Stir 1/2 c of the salsa mixture into the chicken mix. Keep the rest of the salsa mix to use as a topping.
Heat the tortillas for 15-30 seconds on the microwave – just enough so that they will roll easily and will not fold and break. Spoon 1/4 c worth of chicken mix down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9×13 pan that has been sprayed with Pam.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining salsa and sprinkle with cheese and chili powder. Bake 18-22 minutes or until hot throughout. Serve with lime wedges.
The bitter arugula along with the garlic and shrimp was a perfect taste combination to place over pasta. And using FiberGourmet pasta means this dish comes in at under 400 calories !
Pasta, Argula and Shrimp
4 servings
330 calories per serving
8 oz. FiberGourmet fettuccine noodles (without FiberGourmet, this recipe comes in over 400 calories)
2 T garlic clove, minced
1 ¼ t black pepper
½ t salt
5 oz. baby arugula
Water for boiling pasta
1 T oil
½ lb. shrimp, peeled, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise
2 T shallots, minced
¾ c chicken broth
2 T lemon juice
1 T butter
½ c shaved parmesan or romano cheese
Combine 2 T garlic, 1 t pepper. ¼ t salt and arugula. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and add to the arugula mix. Heat oil and cook shrimp 1 minute with the rest of the salt and pepper. Add the rest of the garlic and the shallots to the pan and cook another minute and them remove from the pan and set aside. If a lot of juices accumulated from using frozen shrimp, you can dump them. Cook broth and juice in the same pan for 5 minutes and then return shrimp to the pan and stir and then remove from heat and stir in the butter. Place pasta on plates and place shrimp mixture over the top and then add cheese and serve immediately.
These are very filling and make a great snack, appetizer or even a side to a low cal fish dish. You can always dress them up with more ‘stuff’ and just each one to keep the calorie count down – they are very filling, so one should do as a side. Tye adding some cooked crumbled turkey bacon, or some extra low fat cheddar cheese…maybe even some caramelized onions !
Potato Skins
4 servings
262 calories per serving
4 large potatoes (8 oz. each)
2 t oil
¼ c parmesan cheese
½ c skim milk
3 T low fat cream cheese
¾ t salt
¼ t pepper
3 T low fat sour cream
3 T sliced scallions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash the potatoes and prick them with a fork. Microwave on high 10 minutes, then turn and microwave another 5 minutes. Let cook a bit and then slice in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flash keep the skins intact. Place the skins on a cookie sheet and brush with the oil and sprinkle with 2 t of the parmesan cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until golden. Meantime mix the rest of the parmesan with the potato, milk, cream cheese, salt and pepper. When skins are toasty, fill with the potato mix and bake another 7-9 minutes or until hot throughout. Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with scallion just before serving.
Orzo is just one of my most favorite side dishes. It has to come in smaller portions nowadays, but it still fit into the meal plan, especially when served simply with lemon and cut up herbs.
Herbed Orzo
4 servings
170 calories per serving
1 c dry orzo
3 T chopped fresh herbs (one or a mix – parsley, basil, cilantro, etc.)
2 t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and mix with the remaining ingredients.
The color was so vibrant and the sauce so flavorful that this did not seem light and forgettable like many fish dishes are – – instead, this was mmm mmmm good and the red pepper sauce was just perfect.
Fish in Red Pepper Sauce
4 servings
197 calories per serving
1 lb. cod fillets
¼ c flour
¼ c low fat zesty Italian dressing
½ c onions
2 oz. low fat cream cheese
¼ c roasted red peppers
¼ c chicken broth
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 T chopped cilantro
Coat fish with flour. Heat dressing in skillet on medium high and add fish and cook 5-7 on each side or until done. Place cream cheese, onions, peppers, broth and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth then spoon into a pan and bring to a boil on medium high heat then lower and simmer 5 minutes. Place fish on platter and top with sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.
Though the Morningstar Farms black bean patties are MIGHTY GOOD, these were also good and if you’re just in the mood to do it from scratch, this is a great recipe !
Black Bean Pies
4 servings
194 calories per serving
Pam
3 t oil
½ onion, chopped finely
½ green pepper, chopped finely
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T honey
1 T cider vinegar
½ t chili powder
½ t cumin
¼ t red pepper flakes
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ c breadcrumbs
2 T flour
4 T low fat sour cream
2 T cilantro, chopped
Spray skillet with Pam. Heat 2 t oil on medium high and sauté onion, pepper and garlic 4 minutes or until golden then add honey, cider, chili, cumin and red pepper and mix well. Add beans and breadcrumbs to the pan and reduce the heat to medium and cook 10 minutes stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and mash bean mixture with a potato masher until it is the consistency of a thick puree, and then shape mix into 4 patties (like a hamburger). Spread flour on a platter and coat patties on both sides. Spray same skillet with Pam and ad 1 t oil. Saute patties until light browned turning once. Serve each with sour cream and cilantro.
