Tag Archives: garlic

Garlicky Oven Fries

May 18, 2010 admin 1 Comment

Oven fries can get very dry – but with a few tricks, they are delicious and you won’t even be missing your fried fries. First, use some chicken or vegetable broth to give the potatoes some moisture. You can even add a little extra during the cooking process to keep the potatoes moist. And then at the very end, spray with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray for a buttery flavor and much added moisture.

4 servings
139 calories per serving

½ c chicken broth
1 t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper
4 medium baking potatoes, scrubbed, and cut lengthwise into shoestring potato size
Pam
ICBINB Spray
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine broth, garlic powder and pepper and add potatoes and toss. Spray baking sheet and arrange potatoes in a single layer and bake 40 minutes or until crisp and golden. Stir several times during the baking process. If you want them a little browner, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end of the cooking process. When you remove them from the oven, spray with ICBINB Spray and sprinkle with salt.

Chicken, Dinner

Chicken Satay

May 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Satay is a Thai preparation of skewered meat served with a peanut sauce – here I’ve taken away the skewers to make things a bit easier and it doesn’t change the taste of the dish one bit 😉

8 servings
132 calories per serving

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 8 oz. each, sliced lengthwise into 6 strips each.
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t low sodium soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
2 t lime juice
1 t brown sugar
Vegetable oil

Toss chicken with sesame oil, soy, garlic and 1/4 t pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan or skillet on high heat. Work in batches brushing pan with vegetable oil and then cooking chicken until done, 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.

Create dipping sauce by mixing peanut butter, vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, the rest of the pepper flakes and 2-3 T water.

Salads, Vegetables

Garlicky Side Salad

May 12, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is a great dressing – it’s a cross between a ranch and a really garlicky Caesar – very nice !

2 servings
94 calories per serving

2 T sour cream
1 T mayo
1 T skim milk
1/8 t garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c shredded lettuce

Mix dressing and pour over lettuce.

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, Lunch, Salads, Sides

Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing

May 9, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Did somebody say BACON???? Hehehe The bacon in this dressing gives the dish a nice rich flavor. But mostly what you taste here is the ground mustard. If you’re a mustard fan, then you will love the taste of this potato salad.

6 servings
153 calories per serving

2 lb. red potatoes cut into large chunks
2 strips bacon chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T cider vinegar
3 T apple juice
1 T stone ground mustard
¼ c parsley chopped
1/8 t salt
2 scallion, thinly sliced

Steam potatoes 20 minutes or until tender then cool for 10 minutes. Cook bacon 3 minutes and then add onion and garlic and cook until crisp then reduce heat to low and add vinegar, juice, mustard, parsley and salt and cook 2 minutes. Pour over the potatoes and toss well. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Mexican, Sides

My Salsa Verde

May 2, 2010 admin 1 Comment

When I first had this in a Brazilian restaurant I came home and scoured the net to find a recipe that was similar to what I had just tasted. After much trial and error, this is the recipe that grew out of many test batches.

When this is paired with meats and fishes, it makes the meal super refreshing and turns the simplest of grilled meats into a flavor sensation – it is soooo good ! But beware – this does leave you with some pretty heavy duty garlic breath – this is not a good recipe for date nite !

Just a tablespoon or 2 served with grilled beef, chicken or fish is a taste treat you won’t soon forget !

15 servings
39 calories per serving
(1 serving=1T)

7 cloves garlic
2 c fresh parsley
2 c fresh cilantro
10-12 T fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
¼ c olive oil
¼ – ½ c vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Place garlic in a good processor and mince finely. Add parsley and cilantro and mince finely – so fine that the mixture is more of a paste than chopped herbs. Place in a bowl and mix with all the other ingredients. Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight to let the flavors mingle.

Lunch, Mexican, Salads, Sides

Spicy Black Bean Salad

May 2, 2010 admin Leave a comment

I’ve been making this side salad for years. It is great alongside so many dishes ! Sometimes it’s even good as a lunch served with a few low fat crackers.

10 servings
250 calories per serving

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can mandarin oranges, rinsed
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 c chunky salsa
¼ c lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t ground cumin

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Chicken, Dinner, Italian, Pasta

Penne Chicken Primavera

April 29, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The ranch dressing adds a nice kick of flavor to the chicken and then mellows out the creamy sauce in this primavera. I have lots of recipes gathered up for primavera and this is one of my favorites 🙂

4 servings
395 calories per serving

8 oz. uncooked FiberGourmet Penne pasta (without Fiber Gourmet, you have to add 80 calories per serving)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite sized pieces
1 oz. package dry ranch dressing mix
1 T buttery spread
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. frozen vegetable mix (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
1 c skim milk
¼ c low fat cream cheese
½ c shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Place chicken and dressing mix in a zip loc bag and shake to coat it well. Melt spread and cook garlic one minute then add chicken and cook another 4 minutes to brown it some. Add veggies, cover and cook 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stir in milk mix and cream cheese. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly then add pasta and parmesan cheese.

Dinner, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Marinated Tomatoes

April 28, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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 !

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

Salad:
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 pint yellow pear tomatoes, halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Combine all dressing ingredients and toss with tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour so flavors mix.

Chicken, Dinner, Mexican

Chicken Enchiladas Especial

April 22, 2010 admin Leave a comment

The salsa verde is what makes this enchilada dish so special. This is a great recipe !

4 servings
323 calories per serving (1 serving = 2 enchiladas)

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.