Archive for category Low Calorie
Southwest Steak (Dinner)
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Beef, Low Calorie, Main Course, Side Dishes, Steak, Vegetables on March 5th, 2010
I love Mexican food. When I was pregnant I literally ate tacos almost everyday for the first 3 months. Funny that I never really branched out from that until much later. I wanted to grill steak but not necessarily do a carne asada (although that is muy delicioso) so I found the following recipe and am sure glad I did! I also wanted to make a side of rice and salad to go with this so keep reading!
Southwest steak:
1/4 c lime juice
1/4 c bottled steak sauce
1/4 c salsa (whichever level of spiciness you prefer)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 in thick
1. For marinade, in a small saucepan combine all seasoning ingredients and bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 5 mins, stirring occasionally; cool.
2. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag and set in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over steak and place in fridge 8-24 hrs. (Mine sat for about 19-20 hrs) Turn bag occasionally.
3. When ready place meat on grill and cook to desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling.
4. Thinly slice, as Rick Bayless says (sorry just saw a recent tweet), ALWAYS against the grain!
Your Red Rice side:
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 sm onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c long grain white rice
1 tsp achiote powder (this you can find in a Mexican store, I found a Mexican seasoning at a local farmers market which was wonderful! Just make sure what you end up using isn’t just a plain chile powder or something like that)
1 bay leaf
2 c canned crushed tomatoes (***I used ones with sweet onion in them***)
2.5 c low sodium chicken broth
1. Heat oil in med saucepan over med-high heat and add onions and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes.
2. Add rice, seasoning powder, and bay leaf and cook until rice is opaque, about 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to boiling. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until liquid evaporates and is just below level of the rice. Simmer, covered, on low for about 20-25 mins. Yields 4-6 servings.
Tomato with Avocado Salsa:
1/2 lg avocado, diced
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp salt
1 medium Anaheim or poblano pepper, seeded and ribs removed, finely chopped
2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 lg tomato, cut into 5 slices
1.25 tsp fresh lime juice
In a medium bowl, stir together the avocado, 2 tsp lime juice, salt, pepper and cilantro. Be sure the avocado is coated with the lime juice to prevent discoloration.
For each serving, place avocado mixture over tomato slice(s). Sprinkle with additional lime juice.
And here you have it!
Oh yeah. . .don’t forget your warmed up tortilla (I used whole wheat) and additional leafy greens! The meat came out so incredibly tender – it was perfect. The avocado/tomato had just the right amount of tang and the rice had really good flavor (I believe the crushed tomato with sweet onion did the trick). All in all – this was a very delicious and satisfying meal for that Mexican craving.
Nutritional Information:
Southwest Steak:
Calories: 200
Total Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 69 mg
Protein: 25 mg
Carbohydrate: 5 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 385 mg
Tomato with Avocado Salsa:
Calories: 49
Total Fat: 3. 5 g
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 67 mg
Carbohydrate: 5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 1 g
Sorry, I do not have the information for the red rice side as this was not made available.
Ham, Spinach, and Gruyere Bread Pudding with Kale and Potato Hash
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Breakfast, Low Calorie, Main Course, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Entree on March 4th, 2010
It was time to do brunch again and I really wanted to do something different. ZenChef inspired me as he has used Gruyere in tarts before. If you like to branch out in your cheeses Gruyere is also wonderful as a dessert cheese and melts well for sauces and fondues (just a side note if you didn’t know this already!). So here you are. . .
For the Bread Pudding:
4 large egg whites
4 large eggs
1 c skim milk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp fresh minced rosemary
4 c whole grain bread (I left the crusts on) cut up in 1 in cubes
5 c chopped spinach wilted
1/2 c chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1 c diced ham steak (5 oz)
3/4 c shredded Gruyere
1. Preheat oven to 375 and prep your 2-2.5 qt baking dish. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk and then add your seasonings; whisk.
2. Toss your bread, spinach, peppers, and ham in a large bowl. Add your egg mixture and toss well to coat. Transfer to baking dish and press down to compact. Cover with foil.
3. Bake for 40-45 mins; uncover and top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes more. Cool on wire rack. Makes 8 servings.
For Kale and Potato Hash:
8 c torn kale
2 tbsp horseradish
1 med shallot, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 c cooked shredded potato
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1. Place kale in large microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wilt – about 3 mins. Drain and finely chop.
2. Mix the rest of the seasoning ingredients and add potato and kale.
3. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Evenly layer your hash and cook until potato is crisp and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. (The ingredients above yield 4 servings so I doubled the recipe.)
Sunday brunch!
To offset the two dishes we whipped up some buttery pancakes and made homemade whipped cream topped with strawberries (sigh). This was delicious!
Nutritional Information:
Bread Pudding:
Calories: 276
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Protein: 21 g
Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 169 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 746 mg
For Kale and Potato Hash:
Calories: 240
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Protein: 6 g
Fat: 12 g
Cholesterol: 0
Fiber: 5 g
Sodium: 244 mg
(New and Improved) Apple Muffins
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Low Calorie, Snacks on March 3rd, 2010
Not too long ago I made an apple streusel muffin that was very good. Well. . .I came across this recipe and decided to try it since I needed more homemade breakfast goods on the kitchen counter. Let’s just say the first apple muffins are now complete history. I believe, yes, I believe my husband ate 3 out of the dozen the first day. These are so moist and satisfying and for being low-cal I fell in love!
Your supplies:
3/4 c plus 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinammon
1 c each flour and wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c canola oil
2 large eggs
1 c natural applesauce (= 2 small individually packed applesauces)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c lowfat buttermilk
1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 and prep your muffin pan. In a small bowl mix the 2 tbsp of brown sugar and pecans. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl mix together flours, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl mix remaining 3/4 c sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Then add applesauce and vanilla. Whisk in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with buttermilk. Gently stir in apple.
4. Fill your muffin pan and sprinkle with sugar/pecan topping. Tap the pan to remove any air bubbles (did not know this previously!). Bake for 20 mins and let cool on wire rack for 15. Enjoy!
sorry about the flash - took this with my phone :-p
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 219
Total Fat: 8 g
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 35 g
Fiber: 2 g
Chicken and Noodles
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Chicken, Low Calorie, Main Course, Pasta, Poultry, Vegetables on March 3rd, 2010
(Oh I have so many things to post. . .) I know everyone has their own version of this dish as it is comfort food at its finest. I loved the fact that with this recipe you made the noodles yourself, which was surprisingly, not difficult! Feel free to vary the recipe and let me know how it goes.
You’ll need:
1/2 c all purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/2 large beaten egg
2 tbsp fat free milk
3 c fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 c diced cooked chicken (about 6-8 oz)
1.5 c no salt added frozen mixed veggies (or choose your own fresh)
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 c water
3 tbsp flour
1. For the noodles, mix first 3 ingredients until you form a ball. Lightly flour a cutting board and kneed the dough for about 1-2 mins. Cover with a dry dish towel and let rest for 15 mins.
2. Roll the dough out to a 9 x6 in rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into strips about 3 in long and 1/2 wide. Cover with dish towel and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, stir together the broth, chicken, veggies, and seasonings (not water and flour). Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the noodles; cook for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the water and flour together and stir into the mixture. Cook for a few more minutes until it has thickened a bit. Serves 3 (1.5 c servings)
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 235
Total Fat: 2. 5 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg
Sodium: 328 mg
Carbohydrate: 29 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 22 g
Chipotle Chili and Southwestern Drop Biscuits
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Side Dishes on February 23rd, 2010
After a pretty gluttonous weekend I have returned to doing my low-cal thing. I’m not a die-hard fan of chili but I thought I’d give this recipe a try. I’m glad I did because it definitely hit the spot for cold weather comfort food! I wanted to pair it with something and biscuits sounded appealing. The chili was great as it was hearty enough with the beans and other veggies in it without being “heavy”.
For the Chili:
8 0z extra lean ground beef or turkey (or even ground chicken)
1 c chopped onion
1.5 tsp ground cumin
2-14 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained, cut up
1-15 oz can red beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 c coarsely chopped red and or yellow sweet pepper
1/2 c water
2-3 tsp chopped canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce (I love spicy so I used 3)
1 tbsp snipped fresh oregano
1/4 c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1. Lightly coat an unheated large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat and cook your meat and onion. Stir in cumin and cook for about a minute more. Add tomatoes, red beans, pepper, water, and chile peppers. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 mins and then stir in oregano.
2. Serve with cheese and a dollop of sour cream (this offsets the spiciness very well)! Makes 4-1.5 c servings.
For biscuits:
1 c all purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 tsps baking powder
1-2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1-8 0z carton light sour cream
1/3 c fat free milk
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet. Stir together first 5 ingredients.
2. Whisk together sour cream and milk and then mix with flour mixture. Drop 1/3 c sized dough mounds on sheet and bake for 14-16 mins. Makes 8 servings.
The biscuits were okay. They definitely needed to be buttered (of course I go low fat and use the zero calorie ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ spray). I’m not sure what I would have done differently for these – maybe added some reduced fat cheese? Alternately, you can serve the chili with lime wedges and baked tortilla chips which would work just as well. But the chili was very good!
Nutritional Information:
Chili:
Calories: 398
Total Fat: 14 g
Cholesterol: 57 mg
Protein: 27 g
Carbohydrate: 40 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sodium: 1030 mg
For biscuits:
Calories: 138
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 23 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 191 mg
Salmon Cakes with Lemon and Capers/Fettuccine in Tomato Broth
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetables on February 8th, 2010
Implementing healthy, low-cal recipes has taken on much more significance for me recently so I am very happy to share those with you that actually taste good and are easy to put together. These two were a suggested pair and so with the success of the tuna cakes I decided to try these yesterday afternoon. Big smiles all around for these!
Salmon cakes:
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 tsp black or green peppercorns
1 med garlic cloe, coarsely chopped or 1/2 tsp bottled, chopped or minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
whites of 2 lg eggs
1/4 cup fat free, cholesterol-free or light, reduced-calorie mayonnaise dressing
1/4 cup cornmeal
12 oz salmon fillet, skin removed
1. With a mortar and pestle crush and grind together first 5 ingredients. Transfer to medium bowl. Add lemon juice and using your mortar make a paste.
2. Stir in egg whites, mayonnaise, and cornmeal.
3. Rinse your fish, pat dry and cut into 1/4 in thick pieces. They don’t have to be uniform so don’t feel you have to be really precise. Stir this into your mixture.
4. Preheat large skillet over medium heat and spray with vegetable oil spray. Form 4 patties about 3/4 in thick. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning only once. Enjoy!
For Fettuccine:
14.5 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
2 pepperoncini (Tuscan peppers), stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 med garlic cloves, minced or 1 tsp bottled minced
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8-9 oz fresh fettuccine
6-8 oz sliced or coarsed chopped fresh mushrooms
2 large zucchini, grated
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried, crumbled
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp shredded/grated Parmesan or Romano
1. Heat large, deep skillet over high heat. Put in first 7 ingredients and stir. Bring to a simmer. Gently stir in pasta, mushrooms and zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in basil. When read to serve sprinkle with cheese if desired.
You may be wondering. . . zucchini? I was very, very surprised at how creamy the fettuccine came out because of this vegetable. No heavy creams, butter, or loads of cheese (which we all love) but this had an alfredo consistency with a different flavor. It was excellent 
Nutritional Information:
Salmon:
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Sodium: 245 mg
Carbohydrate: 11 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 20 g
Fettuccine:
Calories: 217
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Sodium: 430 mg
Carbohydrate: 43 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 10 g
Egg Custard Pie
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Desserts, Low Calorie, Snacks on February 6th, 2010
From what I hear you are either a custard fan or not. I grew up with flan and desserts of the sort but for some reason didn’t care for custard until much later in life. I used the following recipe to make this for a friend’s father whose favorite dessert is this.
Ingredients
- 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- 2 1/2 cups scalded milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
- Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir well. Blend in the scalded milk. For more yellow color, add few drops yellow food coloring.
- Line pie pan with pastry, and brush inside bottom and sides of shell with egg white to help prevent a soggy crust. Pour custard mixture into piecrust. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on rack and give some time to set.
***This was the first time I made this and so being the type of person I am I made a second pie to taste test it myself before giving what I made to someone else. However, I decided to put a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom so that others in my household would partake of it too. I had to increase the baking time by about 5-7 minutes. The custard filling came out exactly as I expected and the chocolate, although I even questioned throwing that in there, was really good. Even my husband who doesn’t care for custard thought it was a nice touch.
This goes to show you: don't shift the pie while it is baking. The nutmeg will move over! Errr. . .
. . .with the chocolate layer . . .
From what the recipe stated each slice (8 per pie) has approximately 225 calories (without chocolate).
Chicken with Roquefort
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Poultry on February 2nd, 2010
Grilling never gets old and is so much healthier for you. . .and if you like strong blue cheeses you will love this recipe!
Your chicken recipe:
1-6 oz carton plain fat free yogurt
1/2 c chopped red onion
2 tbsp crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese (I used Maytag which is stronger than regular blue cheese and is comparable to the Roquefort – it was difficult to find this for some reason but it crumbles well)
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
1/8 tsp black pepper2 med pears, cored and halved lengthwise
lemon juice
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1.25 lbs total)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1. For sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, red onion, cheese, chives, and pepper. Cover and chills until ready to serve. Brush cut sides of pears with lemon juice and set aside.
2. Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning and salt. Grill for approx. 5 mins and then turn. Place pears on grill, cut sides down. Grill together for about 7-10 mins or until chicken is no longer pink and pears are just tender. Serve with sauce and side of your choice! Makes 4 servings.
Only so much room on my stovetop grill but I made it fit.
. . .with a generous helping of your sauce. . .
I had an idea of what to expect of the flavor combination because I love fruit and cheese together. The sweetness of the pears was excellent against this cheese; pretty soon I found myself dipping the fruit into the cheese sauce. The chicken was tender and juicy and now I’m in love with this grill as everything has turned out superb on it – not to mention – super easy cleanup!
Nutritional Information:
For your chicken:
Calories: 218
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 70 mg
Protein: 30 g
Carbohydrate: 18 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 297 mg
Asian Pork Soup
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Appetizers, Low Calorie, Main Course, Pork, Side Dishes, Vegetables, soup on January 30th, 2010
I was going to save this till later in the week but since I was feeling a bit under the weather and needed some comfort food I had a feeling this soup would do the trick. This was excellent and very simple.
You’ll need:
1 tbsp canola oil
12 oz lean boneless pork, cut into thin bite size strips
2 c freshly sliced shiitake mushroooms
2 c garlic, minced
3-14 oz cans chicken broth
2 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger/1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 c shredded napa cabbage
1 green onion, thinly sliced
fresh cilantro sprigs
1. In lg saucepan heat oil over med heat; add pork, cook and stir for 2-3 mins or until slightly pink in the center. Remove from pan and set aside. add mushrooms and garlic and cook until tender.
2. Stir in chicken broth, sherry soy, ginger, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Stir in pork, napa cabbage, and green onion; heat through. If desired, garnish with cilantro. Makes 6-1 c servings.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 31 mg
Protein: 16 g
Carbohydrate: 10 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 169 mg
Kiwifruit Chicken Tostadas
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Chicken, Low Calorie, Main Course, Poultry, Snacks on January 28th, 2010
I love blending fruit and meat together. . .and this is just one of this instances This makes a great lunch or snack and for dinner you can pair with beans and/or rice.
Get started:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp)
1/8 tsp salt
8 0z skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp canola oil
4 – 6 in corn tortillas or purchased baked tostada shells (I usually go for crispy!)
2 c shredded romaine
3 kiwifruits chopped and/or 2 plum tomatoes chopped
1/2 c shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
1. In a small bowl combine cumin, red pepper and salt. Brush all sides of the chicken with oil and sprinkle evenly with cumin mixture.
2. Place on a grill uncovered for approx 12-15 minutes and turn halfway through until no longer pink.
3. Cut chicken in bite size strips and assemble on top of tostadas with lettuce, fruit/tomato, and cheese. Makes 4 servings. (Of course with recipes like this you can always make more depending on how much you happen to have on hand. I say you’ll need more, these are delicious!)
A little sweet and a whole lot of savory!
***I was worried while grilling that there wasn’t enough of the cumin mixture on there. I made sure the chicken wasn’t dry so a lot of the flavor still came through. I think next time I would make a bit more of the cumin mixture and even add a bit more red pepper because I love kick but that’s about all the tweaking I would do. Oh! And if you didn’t care about the low cal of course add sour cream and avocado and even a little cilantro/red onion.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 208
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg
Protein: 19 g
Carbohydrate: 21 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sodium: 238 mg
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Bread
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Desserts, Low Calorie, Snacks on January 26th, 2010
Seems like I can’t go one week without baking something for breakfast – but that’s a good thing, right? This bread sounds rich, but it’s not. It has just the right amount of peanut butter/chocolate flavor to leave you satisfied.
You’ll need:
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c creamy peanut butter
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites
2 tbsp canola oil
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c fat free milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp fat free milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 and prep your loaf pan.
2. In large bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat with electric mixer until combined. Beat in egg whites and oil until combined. In a small bowl, combine flours and alternately add this and 1 c milk to peanut butter mixture beating on low speed after each addition. Transfer 1/2 c of the batter to small bowl and stir in cocoa powder and 1 tbsp milk.
3. Spoon half the light-color batter evenly into prepped loaf pan. Then drop all the chocolate batter by small spoonfuls on top of batter in pan. Spoon remaining light-color batter over it. Using a narrow metal spatula, swirl batters to create a marbled effect.
4. Bake for 50-55 mins or until inserted toothpick in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for about 10 mins and remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Makes approx. 12 servings.
I probably could've done better with the "marbling" effect but still tastes delish!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 181
Total Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 28 g
Fiber 1 g
Sodium: 177 mg
Seared Tilapia with Lemon-Tarragon Sauce and Spinach Orzo
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Pasta, Seafood, Vegetables on January 24th, 2010
Although I much prefer “meatier” fish like salmon or mahi-mahi, this was very, very good. The tilapia is seasoned very well here and so it doesn’t have that “fish” smell and taste to it. And I love it when I find recipes that have an accompaniment included!
For Tilapia:
1.5 lbs fresh/frozen tilapia or other lean whitefish
1 tsp seasoned salt ( I used more though)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp snipped fresh tarragon or 1/4 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
1. Rinse fish, pat dry and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Prep your skillet with oil and cook fish until it flakes easily (approx 4-5 mins total). Set aside in dish and keep warm.
2. For sauce, add wine and lemon juice to skillet making sure to scrape up any crusty bits from the fish. Whisk in mustard and tarragon and heat through. Serve over fillets. I yielded 6 servings. Enjoy!
For Spinach Orzo:
Prep 8 oz dried whole wheat orzo, drain. Immediately toss orzo with 5-6 oz package of baby spinach, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel and 1/4 tsp salt. Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
Mmmm. . .good!
Nutritional Information (for both together):
Calories: 294
Total Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 57 mg
Protein: 28 g
Carbohydrate: 28 g
Fiber: 7 g
Sodium: 448 mg
Curried Beef with Apple Couscous
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Beef, Low Calorie, Main Course, Vegetables on January 22nd, 2010
So after about a one week hiatus here is what I will introduce. Ohhh. . .this was fantastic! Not too spicy, not too sweet – just an even blend of spice and flavor. Additionally, this was extremely simple to make.
Here you are:
1 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 in thick
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp canola oil
2 medium red/green sweet peppers cut into thin strips
1 med onion, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 c water
3/4 cup apple juice
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
1 c whole wheat couscous
1 med tart green apple (Granny Smith), coarsely chopped1/3 c chopped dry roasted peanuts
1. Lightly sprinkle steak with salt/black pepper and place on grill until desired doneness (mine was med-well/well). You can also use your broiler.
Using the stovetop grill. . .
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add sweet pepper and onion; cook for 5 mins. Add curry and stir for one minute. Add water, juice, bouillon granules and bring to boiling. Stir in couscous and apple; remove from heat. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with fork.
sauteeing the vegetables - nothing better than peppers and onion!
fluffing the couscous. . .
3. Slice steak and serve over couscous mixture and top with peanuts. Makes 6 servings.
Dinner is served!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 340
Total Fat: 9 g
Total Cholesterol: 46 mg
Protein: 25 mg
Carbohydrate: 44 g
Fiber 7 g
Sodium: 430 mg
Spinach and Tofu Stuffed Shells
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Italian, Low Calorie, Main Course, Pasta, Vegetarian Entree on January 12th, 2010
Unless you tell, no one will ever be able to tell that the tofu provides the creaminess in this dish!
You will need:
18 dried jumbo shells
8 0z frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dried
2 tbsp green onion (green and white parts)
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
14 oz soft silken reduced fat tofu, drained
1 c loosely packed fresh basil, stems removed and chopped
whites of 2 large eggs or egg substitute equal to one egg or 1 large egg
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pepper to taste
1.5 c tomato based meatless pasta sauce
12 oz no salt added tomato sauce
2 more tbsp parmesan cheese
1. Cook shells according to package directions and carefully rinse in cool water. Heat a large skillet over med heat, remove from heat and then spray down. Cook spinach, green onion and garlic until all liquid has evaporated and spinach is heated through. Put in a large bowl. Crumble tofu into spinach and mash/combine well. Stir in basil.
2. In a small bowl which egg whites and add parmesan cheese, nutmeg, pepper and stir this into spinach mixture.
3. Mix tomato sauces together and place half this mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Fill pasta shells with spinach mixture and top with remaining sauce and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 mins at 350. Makes approx 6 servings. Enjoy!
Assembling the shells. . .
Your end product!
***I would have put in a tad bit more garlic and if you wanted something “heavier” you can use a meat based sauce as well. Regardless, this was perfect paired with salad and don’t forget garlic bread if you want the whole “complete” Italian deal (refer to Van’s Truly Kick-Ass garlic bread!).
Nutritional Information (per serving – 3 shells):
Calories: 195 (Yup, that’s right!)
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 2 mg
Sodium: 374 mg
Carbohydrate: 31 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 12 g
Blueberry Breakfast Scones (with Orange Glaze)
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Low Calorie, Snacks on January 12th, 2010
Let’s hear it for the scones!!! These will knock your socks off, no joke. I’ve loved scones for as long as I can remember but for those of you who dislike the ‘dry spots’ this recipe retains a bit more moisture without being too soft and ‘cakey’. And the glaze is amazing!
Here you go:
1.5 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1 egg
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c fresh blueberries (you can use frozen)
1. Preheat oven to 400 and prep your baking sheet. In a large bowl mix first 6 ingredients together and then cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Whisk together egg, buttermilk, and vanilla and add this mixture to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Gently stir in blueberries (you don’t want to mash them).
3. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 strokes. Lightly roll out dough into a 7 in circle and cut into 10 wedges. Place on baking sheet about 1 in apart.
4. Bake for about 15 mins or until golden brown. While you are waiting prep your glaze: 3/4 c powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp finely shredded orange peel and either just enough orange juice or fat-free milk (4-5 tsp) to make drizzling consistency. Makes 10 servings – Enjoy!
Freshly drizzled
Nothing better than homebaked goods for breakfast!
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 171
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 34 mg
Protein: 4 g
Carbohydrate: 27 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 215 mg
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