Another favorite chosen for RETREAD week – I love a platter of stuff 🙂
Sometimes I just don’t want a prepared meal – I want to pick like I am eating appetizers at a party. This dish is also a great snack if you have the calories left from eating a lighter lunch and dinner that day. Add more veggies (carrots, radishes, cucs) to make it larger without adding many more calories.
Stuffed mushrooms usually come in 2 varieties, those stuffed a sausage or bacon mix and those stuffed with a chopped mushroom stem mix (usually including cheese). These stuffed mushrooms are a great third variety packed with flavor and an unexpected ingredient…carrot. The carrot and cream cheese mix together perfectly and make for a nice low cal appetizer. At only 54 calories for 6 mushrooms – – eat up !
Stuffed Mushrooms
4 servings
54 calories per serving
24 fresh mushrooms
1 grated carrot
3 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened
2 T chopped fresh chives
1 t dried minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat broiler. Discard mushroom caps. Combine cream cheese, chives, onion and mix well then stuff each cap and place on an ungreased sheet , sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil 8 minutes or until done.
This soup is prepared a day ahead and refrigerated so that the flavors really mingle. If you want to serve the same day you make it, that works too 🙂
Chicken and Pasta Soup
6 servings
265 calories per serving
1/2 c cannellini beans
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed
6 bay leaves
7 c water
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 carrot, sliced thinly
3 ribs celery, sliced thin
Leaves from the tops of the celery stalks
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 T minced garlic
½ t onion powder
2 t basil flakes
8 oz. FiberGourmet pasta (short alfredo, elbows or rotini)
In a soup pot combine chicken, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil. Add onions, carrots, celery, celery leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic and basil. Return to a boil and then lower heat and simmer 1 hour. Add beans and remove bay leaves. Refrigerate overnight. The next day heat the broth and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in soup bowl and ladle soup into each bowl.
Carrots never tasted so fresh ! The combination of ingredients gives this dish a really flavorful punch. Definitely not the same old boring vegetable !
Ginger Carrots
4 servings
61 calories per serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrot chips
1 T buttery spread
1 t minced fresh ginger (bottled is OK if you do not have fresh)
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t salt
Steam carrots 8 minutes or until tender. A simple steamer basket is the easiest way to steam vegetables. I use one like this:
Heat butter in a skillet. Add garlic and ginger to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in steamed carrots, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately.
To quickly zest citrus, try this handy tool I found at Amazon:
There’s nothing like a hot bowl of stew on a cold night. This one is packed with goodness and tastes so very yummy !
Beef Stew
4 servings
275 calories per serving
1 lb. lean steak (sirloin, London broil, filet, etc.) cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 c green beans
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 1 very large)
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef broth
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef gravy
¼ t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t olive oil
Heat pan to medium high heat and then add oil. When oil is hot, add beef. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook beef until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add broth, gravy, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Then cover and cook 45 minutes on low heat. Add potatoes and cook another 30 minutes. Add green beans and cook a final 15 minutes.
Alternately, you can add all at once and crock pot this meal on low 5-6 hours – but the veggies will not be as crisp.
This soup uses up leftovers and is super simple to put together. You can always add extra fresh or dried herbs to make it as spicy as you like. I just sent some of this over to my sick soon to be sister-in-law. Hope it makes her all better 🙂
Rustic Chicken Soup
6 servings
202 calories per serving
3 ½ quarts water
2 c tomato soup
6 oz leftover grilled chicken, cut into small cubes
1 c shredded carrots
1 c green beans, trimmed
1 c small potato cubes
1 c white beans (canned)
1 onion, sliced
1 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c leftover roasted tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
½ c grated parmesan cheese
2 t dry chicken bouillon powder
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
