Late Night Snacks

October 10, 2011 admin Leave a comment

My blog and this post won an award 🙂 One of the top 70 food blogs at eCollegeFinder !

Having a snack attack? Lotsa students are out there burning the midnight oil cramming and writing papers – this post is dedicated to them ! 🙂

Late night snacking can kill your diet if you’re eating tons of processed, high cal and high fat foods. Here are some great ideas that are easy to prepare, full of flavor and much better options.

Microwave Chips
Oh so much better for you than the bagged version

Awesome Homemade Black Bean Dip
Serve with baked tortilla chips

Chipotle Nuts
Great flavor and so easy to do !

Ranch Popcorn
Make your popcorn so much more special

Apricot Sweet Rolls
In the mood for something sweet? Use any flavor jam and watch these disappear

Fruit Parfaits
Use any frozen fruit – these are ready in no time !

Grape Salad
Mix this up ahead of time and always have it ready to go in the fridge

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas
Need something a bit more substantial ? There’s nothing like a hot quesadilla

Healthy Buffalo Chicken
All the flavor – so little fat !

Enjoy your late night snacking – no guilt at all ! 🙂

Appetizers, Lunch, Pork

Appetizer Rolls

October 7, 2011 admin Leave a comment

These are a great quick appetizer but they also make a great lunch ! Add in any herbs you like to the cream cheese.

1 serving
43 calories per serving

2 slices turkey lunchmeat (thin sliced, lean – Hillshire Farms prepackaged lean meats are great)
2 slices lean ham lunchmeat (thin sliced, lean – Hillshire Farms prepackaged lean meats are great)
2 t non fat cream cheese
Chopped herbs (basil, parsley, dill)

Add herbs to cream cheese and spread on ham slices. Top each ham slice with a turkey slice. Roll up like a jelly roll and slice into pinwheels . Refrigerate up to 3 hours or serve immediately.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Pork

Pork and Greens

October 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Pork with a great crunchy coating, plus a side salad with a surprisingly good dressing !

6 servings
342 calories per serving

1/4 c green salsa (salsa verde)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 c low fat mayo
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb. boneless pork chops (¼ inch thick)
35 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers, finely crushed
2 T oil, divided
7 oz. Spring Mix (or your favorite mixed leafy greens)

Mix together salsa, mustard and 1 T may0 and set aside – this is the salad dressing. Mix garlic and mayo and coat pork (put it on like you are buttering bread) then coat with the crumbs. Heat skillet and add half the oil. Cook half the chops 5 minutes per side or until done. Add the other oil and repeat with the remaining chops. Mix greens and dressing.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Company Casserole

October 5, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is just what it’s called…a great company casserole. It is easy to prep, all the prep is done way ahead, and the result is a creamy, tasty vegetable side dish that disappears very quickly !

7 servings
178 calories per serving

1 can low fat cream of celery soup
1 c low fat sour cream
1 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ c finely chopped onion
9 oz. frozen cut green beans, thawed
6 oz. frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 c frozen corn, thawed
¼ c crushed low fat Ritz crackers
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup, sour cream, cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper and onion then stir in the veggies and place in a 2 quart baking dish sprayed with Pam. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Then uncover, sprinkle crumbs around edges and spritz the crumbs with the ICBINB spray. Bake another 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Apricot Cake

October 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great cake that can be left rather plain or you can dress it up with a drizzle of heated apricot jam or some whipped cream. The apricot flavor is so sweet and the brown sugar is so homey – this is a perfect way to jazz up a box cake mix !

12 servings
285 calories per serving

1 moist white cake mix (240 calories per serving prepared as directed)
2 16 oz. cans apricot halves, drained
½ c Splenda brown sugar substitute
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix with water, oil and eggs and prepare as directed. Pour into 2 8×8 squared or 8 inch round baking pans sprayed with Pam. Drop apricots on top rounded side up (they will sink). Sprinkle with Splenda and bake 35-40 minutes. Optionally, squirt with some canned whipped cream.

Dinner, Italian, Kid Friendly

Pepper and Onion Boboli

October 2, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Bobolis make great pizza crusts – top them with just about anything and you have a hit dinner or lunch in 20 minutes flat ! For this one, I’m using a pepper and onion topping, a favorite for my family.

4 servings
387 calories per serving

1 original Boboli crust
½ c pizza sauce
½ t garlic powder
½ t oregano flakes
Optional red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy)
1 c part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c peppers sliced very thin
1 c onions sliced very thin

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon sauce onto crust and spread within ½ inch of the edges. Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano. Add cheese and toppings. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides

Parmesan Rolls

October 1, 2011 admin Leave a comment

A perfect side – so simple, yet so special. These will disappear as quick as you can make them !

16 servings
139 calories per serving (1 piece)

4 oz. low fat cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 c low fat parmesan cheese
2 cans low fat crescent rolls
¼ c chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese and ¾ c of parmesan cheese until well mixed. Separate crescent rolls and spread 1 1/2 T cream cheese mix onto the dough and roll as directed on the package Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining parm. Bake 15 minutes

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly

Lemon Glazed Chicken

September 30, 2011 admin Leave a comment

What a great tangy yet mild sauce – it makes the chicken tenders simply splendid !!

4 servings
210 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. chicken cutlets or tenders
½ t salt
½ t pepper
3 T lemon juice
Pam
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves minced
½ c fat free chicken broth
2 T chopped parsley
1 t cornstarch
¼ c water

Season chicken with salt and pepper and 2 T lemon juice then place in a heated skillet that has been sprayed with Pam and cook 5-6 minutes each site or until browned then remove from pan and keep warm. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan and cook 4 minutes then add the rest of the juice, the broth, and the parsley. Mix 1 t cornstarch with ¼ c cold water and add to the mix. Simmer and stir to thicken sauce and then return chicken to the pan. Cook 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

Lunch, Mediterranean, Salads, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Veggie Pitas

September 29, 2011 admin Leave a comment

It’s a salad in a pita ! And a mighty good one at that !

4 servings
260 calories per serving

2 T oil
1 T vinegar
1 t grated lemon zest
1 t oregano flakes
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
Salt to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper
¾ c chopped romaine lettuce
½ c finely chopped tomato
½ c finely chopped English cucumber
¼ c chopped black olives
¼ c crumbled low fat feta cheese
4 6 inch pita pockets, sliced

Mix oil, vinegar, zest, oregano, garlic and cayenne. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and mix well then spoon mix into pita breads.

Lunch, Salads

Black Bean and Feta Salad

September 28, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Serve this one on top of a bed of your favorite greens for a super lunch salad.

6 servings
230 calories per serving

2 15 oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T fresh basil, chopped
4 oz. low fat crumbled feta with garlic and herbs
2 T oil
1 T lemon juice
¼ t black pepper

Mix all together and cover and chill for several hours.