Tag Archives: cheese

Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

May 28, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Another installment of stuffed mushrooms ! The pesto flavor really comes through and makes these a success story. Much easier than chopping stems and cooking sausage…these come together very quickly and are a great appetizer, snack, or side dish.

12 servings
50 calories per serving (1 serving = 2 mushrooms)

24 baby portobello mushrooms
1/3 c part skim ricotta cheese
3 T pesto (available in the refrigerator section of your local market)
2 t whole wheat flour
2 T grated romano or parmesan cheese
1 T breadcrumbs
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet with the stem side facing up. Mix the ricotta, pesto and flour. Spoon the mix evenly into the mushroom caps and press down. Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top of the mushrooms. Press down lightly. Bake 15-20 minutes or until browned.

Breakfast, Kid Friendly

Cheesy Eggs and Sausage Breakfast

May 25, 2010 admin Leave a comment

When you are on a 400 calorie a meal plan, you don’t have to shy away from breakfast. In fact, you can have quite a plate of food for only 265 calories !!! That even leaves room for more toast or eggs or sausage – but, believe me, this plateful is quite filling just like it is 🙂

1 serving
265 calories per serving

Plate includes:
2 turkey sausage patties cooked according to package instructions (100 calories)

1 slice wheat toast (45 calorie per slice bread) with 1 T buttery spread (45 calorie pet T)

1/2 c egg beaters scrambled (spray pan with Pam) and during the last minute of cooking, add 1 Laughing Cow light cheese wedge that has been cut into little cubes (it will melt pretty fast)

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer

Creamy Cheesy Chicken

May 23, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Creamy and cheesy this is ! The Swiss cheese in this made for a very mellow flavor that mixed very well with the chicken and broccoli. But I’m sure that any other flavor would do very well. This is one of those great recipes where you have everything incorporated – a protein, a starch and a veggie.

5 servings
390 calories per serving

3 c (6 oz.) uncooked wide egg noodles
2 t oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
3 c frozen broccoli florets
1 t minced dried onion
1 t onion powder
½ c white wine
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 c (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
2 t Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Heat oil and add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes or until browned. Add broccoli, onion flakes and onion powder and cook 4 minutes or until hot then reduce heat and stir in wine. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add noodles, soup, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper and cook until cheese is melted and all is hot.

Lunch, Salads

Five Layer Salad

May 21, 2010 admin 1 Comment

Simple and easy and oh so decadent with the addition of cheese and bacon. This lunch salad really hits the spot !

4 servings
225 calories per serving

5 oz. mixed greens
½ English cucumber, coarsely chopped
½ c low fat ranch dressing
¼ c real bacon pieces
½ c finely shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Layer all ingredients on a serving platter or individual dishes and pour on dressing.

Lunch, Sandwiches, Vegetables

Grilled Garden Sandwiches

May 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

For only 260 calories you get a big, beefy sandwich just packed with veggies that are sooooo flavorful. And the mozzarella cheese is just the ‘icing on the cake’ here !

4 servings
260 calories per serving

8 slices whole wheat bread
1 medium zucchini cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices
1 small red bell pepper halved
½ small eggplant, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
½ c fat free Italian dressing
¾ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat broiler. Brush one side of the veggies with dressing and broil dressing side up for 5 minutes. Turn, recoat and broil another 5 minutes. Then cut everything into bite sized pieces. Toast bread and sprinkle 4 pieces with cheese then top with the veggies and cover with the rest of the bread.

Dinner, Mediterranean, Pasta, Sides

Spinach Orzo

May 12, 2010 admin 1 Comment

Sometimes nothing will do but pasta ! And orzo is one of my favorites ! This recipe is great served next to a lighter fish or chicken dish and you get in lots of veggies along with the pasta. Sometimes I leave out the parmesan if it will not match well with the flavors of the other dinner components – and it tastes just as great without it.

8 servings
160 calories per serving

2 t margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ c coarsely shredded carrot
4 c fat free chicken broth
2 c orzo
3 c thinly sliced fresh spinach
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine and cook garlic and carrot 2 minutes then stir in broth, pasta and spinach. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Stir in the rest of the ingredients just before serving.

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.

Chicken, Lunch, Mexican

Chicken and Cheese Tostados

May 10, 2010 admin Leave a comment

I always find tostados a bit hard to eat – do you crack the tortilla and scoop? Do you pick it all up and eat it like a pizza? For this one, I folded the shell over like a taco 🙂 The flavors in this dish mix incredibly well and this is a GREAT lunch.

6 servings
280 calories per serving

6 6 inch flour tortillas
1 package (1.4 oz) taco seasoning
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts in bite sized pieces
½ c water
2 large tomatoes, chopped
7 oz. shredded non fat cheddar cheese
6 T low fat sour cream
¼ c chopped cilantro
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place tortillas on a cookie sheet and spray with Pam. Sprinkle with 1 t taco seasoning and bake 8 minutes or until tortillas are crisp and golden. Mix chicken with the rest of the seasoning mix and water and bring to a boil in a skillet then simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add 1 ½ c tomatoes and cook another 2-3 minutes them remove from heat and stir in 1 ¼ c cheese. Place the mix over the heated tortillas and then top with the rest of the tomatoes and cheese.

Kid Friendly, Lunch

Homemade Hot Pockets

May 6, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Even your kids won’t recognize the carrots inside so why not boost their veggie intake ?!? And for us adults, it just makes the meal more nutritious without sacrificing any of the flavor. This is definitely a great lunch paired with a side salad.

4 servings
265 calories per serving

10 oz. can refrigerated pizza dough
¼ c pizza sauce
¼ c finely shredded carrot
24 turkey pepperoni slices
1 T fat free grated parmesan
1 t garlic powder
1 t oregano flakes
2 slices fat free mozzarella cheese (1.5 oz), cut in half

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into a 12×12 square and then cut into 4 equal squares. Spread 1 T sauce on each square leaving about ½ inch border then top with carrot, pepperoni, garlic powder, oregano, and cheeses and fold each in half and press edges to seal them then bake 12-15 minutes on an ungreased sheet.

Breakfast, Lunch

Zucchini Frittata

May 6, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Frittatas make great breakfast, brunch and lunch fare. If you’ve never had one, they are basically crustless quiches. This one is has a great flavor and by using Egg Beaters, you end you with quite a low cal, low fat meal that still packs a very rich flavor.

6 servings
71 calories per serving

1 ½ c Egg Beaters
½ c shredded low fat swiss cheese
¼ c skim milk
½ t garlic powder
¼ t pepper
Pam
1 c shredded zucchini
1 medium tomato, chopped
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

Combine eggs, cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper. Spray an oven safe skillet with Pam and on medium high heat cook the zucchini, tomatoes and mushrooms until tender. Then put in egg mix and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes or until almost set. Remove the lid and place under a hot broiler for 2-3 minutes or until done. Cut into wedges like a pie and serve immediately.