Quite sweet and definitely tastes of the islands ! This sweet/spicy sauce would do well on any white fish, but I love tilapia !
Spicy Jamaica Tilapia
6 servings
150 calories per serving
¼ c brown sugar
1 t ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes
6 tilapia fillets, 4 oz. each
¼ c lite zesty Italian dressing
¼ c lime juice
½ c orange juice
¼ c chopped cilantro
2 T chopped mint leaves
Heat dressing in a skillet on medium high. Combine sugar, pepper and cumin and sprinkle 2 T over one side of the fish and put in skillet sugar side down then sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mix. Cook 5 minutes each side or until done. Remove from pan. Add juices to skillet and heat through then stir in cilantro and mint and spoon over the fish.
This side dish is great next to just about anything ! The flavor is mild and subtle, so it will go well with just about any meal, not just Asian dishes. And for only 83 calories, it’s a smart side.
Snow Peas and Mushrooms
4 servings
83 calories per serving
1 T sesame seeds, toasted
1 T olive oil
1/2 lb. snow peas
4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 T teriyaki sauce
Toast sesame seeds by place in a hot dry skillet for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Heat oil and sauté snow peas and mushrooms 4 minutes. Stir in teriyaki and sesame seeds.
This did not photograph particularly well – but let me tell you, the meal was DELICIOUS ! You can’t eat this fast enough – you just want more of that awesome broth and the meatballs in your mouth ! You can also use predone turkey meatballs and take a whole lot of the work out of this recipe. Just make sure to do the broth like it says – you won’t be disappointed !
Meatball and Mushroom Soup (Crock Pot)
4 servings
200 calories per serving
½ lb. ground turkey
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
¼ t pepper
¼ c Egg Beaters
1 T oil
1 c carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c sliced mushrooms
1 can fat free beef broth
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup
2 T tomato paste
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Mix together turkey and seasonings and then add egg and still until well mixed. Make small meatballs and heat in a skillet coated with the oil. Put meatballs in crock and all the rest except the cheese. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Garnish with Parmesan cheese once in individual bowls.
This is a tasty stew that does well stovetop or you can sauté the onions and then pile it all in a crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.
Brunswick Stew
6 servings
238 calories per serving
Pam
1 t oil
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts in bite sized pieces
10 oz. frozen baby lima beans
10 oz. frozen corn
3 c chicken broth
1 ½ c chopped tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
3 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Spray a Dutch oven with Pam and heat on medium high. Add oil and then sauté onion 3-4 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients and reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
These taste just like the ones I get at my favorite Greek restaurant. So good and a great side to most any dish 🙂
Greek Potatoes
8 servings
214 calories per serving
4 medium russet baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 c water
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T oregano flakes, plus more for garnish
1 t salt
½ t pepper
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Toss potatoes with water, oil, juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Turn potatoes and liquid onto a baking sheet and arrange in one layer. Bake uncovered about 50 minutes or until ford tender. Half way through, turn potatoes and add water if liquid is all absorbed. Garnish with extra oregano.
There is an Italian dish called Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil) – the way it sounds and not being able to pronounce it, my daughter used to say we were having ‘Spaghetti Hallelujah’ for dinner. It still makes me giggle whenever I think about it 🙂 This recipe is for a similar dish, but with some added shrimp to make it a great complete meal. It is one of my favorite Italian dishes – so simple yet scrumptious… like some of the best homemade dishes.
This version removes a lot of the oil replacing it with chicken broth to save a ton of calories. The flavor profiles are still there, though and while not quite authentic, this is a great low cal version.
Garlic Shrimp with Spaghetti
4 servings
397 calories per serving
Pam
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 t basil flakes
1 t oregano flakes
½ t pepper
Salt to taste
½ t garlic powder
8 oz. FiberGourmet Spaghetti
1 c chicken broth
1 T olive oil
5 T chopped parsley
4 T grated parmesan cheese
Spray skillet with Pam and add garlic and mushrooms and cook 4 minutes. Add shrimp, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and cook another 4 minutes or until shrimp get translucent. Cook linguini according to package instructions. Drain, cover and keep warm. Add broth to skillet and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Stir in parsley and cook another 4 minutes to meld flavors. Mix shrimp mix and pasta together with oil and serve each portion with 1 T of parmesan cheese over the top.
The avocado topping brings back much needed moisture to an often dry turkey burger. Feel free to add tomato and onion slices – they carry a minimum of calories. If you can’t get your hands on a nice ripe avocado, substitute Wholly Guacamole (a super fresh guac available in the refrigerator section of your market).
Turkey Burger with Avocado
2 servings
330 calories per serving
2 turkey burgers (Jennie-O)
2 100 calorie buns (Arnold Select Sandwich Thins – multi grain)
Pam
1/2 c worth of avocado slices (about 6 slices) – or use some Wholly Guacamole (available at most markets)
garlic powder
salt and pepper
Heat a pan on medium high. Remove from heat to spray with Pam. Heat frozen burgers according to package instructions (you can alternately grill or broil the burgers, but cook them slow so they do not dry out). When done, place on a bun and add 3 slices of avocado on the top.
This makes the job of making avocado slices a breeze – tools such as these make perfect slices all the time !
Quick and simple yet sooooo flavorful, I love restaurant quality meals that whip up in no time ! Serve with quick brown rice.
Lemon Ginger Tenders
4 servings
150 calories per serving
1 t cornstarch
1 T soy sauce
12 oz. chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c chicken broth (fat free)
1 t fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 T Splenda
1 t cornstarch
1 T oil
1/4 c red bell pepper in strips
1/4 c green bell pepper in strips
Mix 1 t cornstarch and 1 T soy in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Put bowl in the frig for 10 minutes. Stir lemon juice, 1/4 c soy, broth, ginger, garlic, Splenda and 1 t cornstarch in a bowl. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes then add sauce and sliced peppers and cook 3-4 minutes.
A turkey roasting in the oven makes me happy 🙂 Don’t save it just for holidays ! Roast a small turkey for dinner and there are tons of recipes you can make with the leftover meat. Roasting is easy and at only 153 calories for 4 ounces, it’s a great meal choice.
Roast Turkey
1 serving (4 ounces meat, no skin)
153 calories per serving
1 turkey
1 onion
1 t oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean turkey and salt and pepper the inside. Peel onion and place whole onion inside the bird. Place turkey in a roasting pan, preferably one with a bottom that keeps the turkey raised out of the cooking juices. Oil the top of the turkey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 c water in the bottom of the pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast approximately 20 pounds per pound. Baste with juices every hour, recover, and return to oven. During the last 15-25 minutes remove the cover to let the skin brown.
Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes before carving.
Wherever the recipe came from, this is now “Cheryl’s Sweet Potatoes” to me since my friend Cheryl gave me this recipe 🙂 These are a bit on the high side for calories, so serve them with a nice light serving of fish or chicken. They are so satisfyingly good – just sweet enough without being too sweet ! You could skinny these up using less butter, Splenda brown sugar blend – – but why mess with perfection !?!?!
Cheryl's Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
4 servings
289 calories per serving
2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt
2 T butter, cut into pieces
1 t vanilla
Combine potatoes, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and place in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours. Add butter and vanilla at the end, stir gently to blend.
