Just a few additions and you have guest worthy pancakes instead of the regular old fare. Apples, raisins and cinnamon just mix so well and these pancakes were just great on a Sunday morning !
Apple Raisin Pancakes
8 servings (2 pancakes each)
268 calories per serving
2 c flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 ¾ c skim milk
2/3 c Egg Beaters
5 T margarine, melted and divided
¾ c chopped apple
¾ c raisins
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In another bowl mix milk, eggs and 4 T margarine and then stir into the dry ingredients just until mixed. Stir in the apples and raisins. Brush a griddle with margarine and heat to medium high. Spoon ¼ c batter per pancake and cook in batches.
Coming to the end of Retread Week – here is another family favorite that is not off bounds just because you are on a 400 calorie meal plan !!
There’s nothing like a burger – when you want one, you want one, and nothing else will do. Instead of heading out for fast food, throw these together. Even the kids will love them !!
Shape meat into patties and place in hot skillet that has been sprayed with pam. Cook 5 min per side or until desired doneness. Or grill the burgers outside on the grill. Top with cheese right when they are done cooking. Serve on a toasted bun with all the condiments and additions.
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.
Apples and caramel – what a mix !! There’s no one here that didn’t want seconds of this tasty treat !
Grilled Caramel Apples
4 servings
245 calories per serving
2 large apples
24 caramels, unwrapped
2 t water
Heat grill and fold 4 pieces of heavy duty foil then spray with Pam. Cut apples in half and remove cores. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Place 6 caramels in center of each piece of foil and place apple wedge over and sprinkle with ½ t water. Wrap each foil packet securely and grill 15-20 minutes or until all melted. You can also do this in the oven – preheat to 425 degrees and place the packets on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until all is melted.
The grapes did not really ‘make’ the dish and the chicken could certainly be served on its own since the sauce was really tasty. But the grapes certainly made a more standard chicken dish into something special and definitely company worthy !
Chicken with Grapes
4 servings
229 calories per serving
2 t oil
4 5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T flour
½ c dry white wine
¾ c chicken broth
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ t rosemary flakes
2 c seedless red and green grapes, halved
3 T low fat sour cream
¼ c parsley, chopped
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess, but reserve it for later. Cook the chicken 3 minutes per side or until browned. Add the wine to the pan, increase heat to high and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, salt, rosemary and pepper and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Add the grapes and cover and cook another 5 -7 minutes or until grapes are tender.
Whisk sour cream and any leftover flour. Stir into the pan and cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until the broth is thickened. Plate chicken and add parsley to the sauce and then spoon it over the chicken.
Don’t let the fact that there is not a lot of cheese in these dissuade you – these are so very good and the fragrance of them under your nose while you are biting in makes them all the more better. Great as an appetizer or a snack or a side, these cheesy bread puffs are awesome !
Cheesy Spirals
8 servings
70 calories per serving
4 oz. can of low fat crescent rolls
¼ c chopped green onions
1/8 t garlic powder
¼ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from can but do not unroll it. Cut into 8 slices and place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet and place all the ingredients on top of the rolls and press down lightly. Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.
A baked potato sounds simple enough but one not done right is bad…and one done good is just GREAT! What makes a good potato? A nice crispy salted skin and fluffy, perfectly cooked insides ! After many years of trying a dozen methods here is the one I like best…
Baked Potato
2 servings
160 calories per serving
2 medium baking potatoes
Salt
Molly McButter or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray
Chives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and poke several times with a fork. Salt the outside of the potatoes if you plan on eating the skins. Place in a microwave and oven safe dish and microwave on full power 7 minutes. Take dish from microwave and place in oven and cook 15 -30 minutes as you prep the rest of your dinner. If you have something else in the oven that needs it to be a little lower or higher temperature, no worries – the potatoes will be fine at the alternate temperature.
If you are using larger sized potatoes, increase the microwave time a few minutes.
Split potatoes and prepare with ICBINB spray and sprinkle with salt and chives. Another great low cal topping for potatoes is salsa – – for just 40 calories you can load a 1/2 cup on top of your potato !
This is always a crowd pleaser and people can’t believe it’s made without sugar (Equal is the sweetener here). This is a perfect and refreshing end to a meal.
Key Lime Pie
8 servings
150 calories per serving
1 low fat prepared graham cracker crust
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 ¾ c skim milk
8 oz. low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
12 packets Equal
½ c fresh lime juice
Green food coloring (optional)
Lime slices (optional for garnish)
Sprinkle gelatin over ½ c milk in small pan and let stand 3 minutes then cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Beat cream cheese until fluffy and then beat in res of the milk and the gelatin mix. Then mix in the juice and 12 packets of Equal. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring if you wish. The pie will be very thin and runny but will firm up quickly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Roasted chicken is a bit higher in calories than chicken breast cooked without the skin, but sometimes you just gotta splurge 🙂 Even though you peel the skin off to stay at the low calorie level, because it was cooked with the skin on, it is super moist and quite tasty.
Roasted Chicken
142 calories per 3 oz. serving of white breast meat
1 Roaster chicken
Water
Salt
Pepper
Lemon Pepper
1-2 onions
Pam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from wrappings, wash it off inside and out. If there are any packets of giblets or anything stuffed inside the chicken, be sure to remove them.
Place the chicken in a roaster pan, or a baking dish atop a rack. If you don’t have a rack or a roaster, you can just place it in a baking dish and it will do fine, the bottom will just have a bit of a different texture.
Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper and then stuff with the whole, peeled onions. As the chicken cooks, the onion flavor really flavors the meet nicely. Lay the chicken back down breast side up and sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon pepper. Place ½ c water in the bottom of the pan so the chicken will ‘steam’ as it cooks. This helps keep the meat moist.
Spray one side of aluminum foil with Pam. Place this side toward the chicken and cover the pan trying not to press the foil down against the chicken – make more of a tent of the foil.
Cook chicken for the time directed on the package which will be based on the weight of the chicken. The juices should run clear when it is completely done. Chickens usually cook for 15 minutes per pound.
Let it sit a bit before carving so that the juices do not all leave the meat as you carve it.
Here are some great instructions for how to carve a chicken – it’s really not hard ! Especially if you are mainly wanting nicely sliced breast meat (and you can save the thighs, legs and other dark meat for making soup).
http://www.howcast.com/videos/8687-How-To-Carve-a-Chicken
If you can resist the urge to stir these, the outsides get so nice and crispy ! Combine that with the soft and fluffy insides and it’s quite a taste treat. The dry mustard gives these an unexpected flavor – very subtle but still noticeable.
Home Fries
6 servings
122 calories per serving
1 T oil
1 ½ lb. small red potatoes cooked and quartered (to cook, boil in unsalted water 15 minutes or until tender)
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 t paprika
½ t parsley flakes
½ t dry mustard
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
In a large skillet heat oil on medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook on one side 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to stir 🙂 If you let them sit, they will get a nice brown ‘skin’ and taste so much better ! Turn potatoes, add shallots and cook another 4 minutes or so. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Saute 1-2 minutes or until potatoes are completely done.
