Archive for category Main Course
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
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
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Posted by Van Santos in Main Course on February 9th, 2010
My mother makes the type of Macaroni and Cheese that I love… It’s one of those childhood comfort foods (along with Meat Pie and Hashbrown Casserole) that cannot get enough of. With the fear of ruining a bunch of childhood memories in my head, I decided to venture out and try another recipe…
This one from Alton Brown with just slight changes.
All The Stuff
Needed:
Steps to throwing together this masterpiece.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Mix in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes.
Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Mix in egg.
Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.
Breadcrumbs going on...
Throw on the Cheese!
Remove from oven, let sit for ten minutes before serving.
Baked and Ready to go.
A very enjoyable dish, one that is the perfect comfort food… but it does not replace the childhood memories.
The paprika add a subtle flavor and panko breadcrumbs create a texture that I never would have associated with Mac and Cheese but really enjoy.
One last item with this dish – the longer the dish sits, the better it tastes. After having the Mac and Cheese hibernate in the fridge overnight I found even more pleasure in eating the leftovers the next day. It looks as the flavors permeate the dish and grow in intensity with time.
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
Apricot Mustard Salmon and Salad with Tangy Vinaigrette
Posted by Van Santos in Main Course, Seafood on February 5th, 2010
A very busy week, a very stressful week, has kept me out of the kitchen… and I have missed it so. As I was finishing up hour number 9 of one very tedious task at work I started thinking that I really needed to take care of my cooking fix today. Really, what better way to start the weekend. Well, I can think of a few others…. 
I decided that I wanted a good fish dish. Yes, the baked Mac n Cheese is still in my the back of my head (and I’ll get there at some point) but I wanted to do something creative and the Apricot Mustard Salmon was the answer.
Apricot Mustard Salmon Recipe
3 tbsp olive oil
2 salmon cuts
8 oz of apricot preserves (roughly 1 cup)
4 tbsp of coarse ground mustard
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 sliced peppers jalapeño
1/2 cup white wine
2 rosemary sprigs
Salt and Pepper to taste
1) Turn on the oven, set to 400 and let the oven pre-heat as you prep.
2) Heat olive oil over a medium-low flame in a medium sized pan, add the jalapeño peppers and sautee for roughly 3 minutes (until they begin to soften)
3) Add Garlic, heat for an additional minute
4) De-glaze with white wine
5) Add mustard, stir into the mixture
6) Add Apricot preserves and stir in so all ingredients have blended together.
7) Turn heat to low, simmer for roughly 15 minutes while constantly stirring to avoid burning. The sauce will begin to thicken when ready.
8 ) Place your salmon on a foiled cookie sheet, salt and pepper to taste, add a sprig of rosemary and cover with the Apricot Mustard sauce.
9) Bake for 16 minutes
Salad with Tangy Vinaigrette Recipe
1 bag of mixed baby greens
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp honey
5 chopped green onions
10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
A “Handful” of chopped walnuts
A “Handful” of Feta Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Yea, this one is quite simply… mix your red wine vinegar, oils, ginger, and honey. Pour over the baby greens, add walnuts and cheese, green onions and mint. Toss vigorously and serve.
Apricot Mustard Salmon
I wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out… but hot damn I was happy. The sauce is on the sweeter side of the spectrum but the peppers and mustard add a nice after bite that one wouldn’t expect. In order to cut the sweetness simply add a bit more mustard. As sad as this sounds, as the salmon was baking away I was eating the extra sauce straight from the pan. Why let a good thing go to waste, I love it!
The salmon and sauce blended so well. The sweetness of the sauce was countered by the natural flavors in the fish leading to a near perfect balance.
I like throwing together random vinaigrette dressings. The thought of honey, nuts and feta cheese seemed to compliment the fish (well, in my mind) and in reality it did. The nuts really brought out the taste of the honey, and the honey added to the sauce that was over the fish.
Enjoy!
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
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
Lemon Garlic Chicken with Olives
Posted by Van Santos in Chicken, French, Main Course on January 11th, 2010
Sticking to my idea of trying new dishes, I saw this Lemon Garlic Chicken with Olives recipe and thought “Hey, why not”.
Let’s get to it.
- 1 4 pound chicken cut up, or chicken pieces
- 25 garlic cloves peeled
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup pitted green olives, rinsed
- 1 Tbsp chopped lemon zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, basil, sage, etc.)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted melted butter
Ok, you’ll
1) Preheat oven to 425.
2) Combine the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, butter, herbs, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir.
3) Arrange chicken pieces in a roasting pan, place the garlic cloves all around the chicken, and pour lemon-herb mixture over them.
Chicken getting ready to head into the oven.
4) Roast for about 50 minutes or until nicely browned.
4) Remove chicken.
5) In a large pan, over a medium heat, add the roasted chicken, garlic, juice, and chicken stock. Stir.
6) Add the olives and stir, cooking a few more minutes. Serve immediately.
Lemon Garlic Chicken with Green Olives
The small change I made to the recipe was the addition of the butter… next time I will do a number of things different.
I’d love to be sitting here telling you this dish was fantastic, or that the flavors magically danced on my tongue, but that is not the case. When the recipe says it’s Lemom Garlic Chicken they really mean it’s Lemon Chicken. The Lemon was too overwhelming. Now, that is not to say it was bad, but it wasn’t a home run.
Interestingly enough, if one eats a piece of garlic, chicken and an olive at the same time the flavors seem to balance out. Eat them alone and it really doesn’t work… alone the chicken has too much lemon, the garlic has lost the kick, or the olives were too salty.
Next time I get around to this I play on significantly cutting the lemon juice, maybe just making the lemon zest the core lemon flavor, and made the base of the dish butter.
Tuna Cakes with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Posted by Eileen Devlin in Low Calorie, Main Course, Seafood, Side Dishes, Tuna, Vegetables on January 6th, 2010
So here’s a recipe I am SO glad to have found! This was spectacular!
For cucumber yogurt sauce:
1/2 c peeled, seeded, and finely chopped cucumber
1/2 c plain non-fat yogurt
2 tbsp snipped fresh dillweed or 2 tsps dried and crushed
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 tsp pepper
Stir above ingredients together – cover and refrigerate.
For tuna cakes:
2- 6 oz cans albacore tuna in distilled/spring water, drained and flaked
2 large eggs or you can subsitute
1/3 c crushed fat free no salt added whole wheat crackers ( or you choose)
1/4 c chopped green onion (green and white parts)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Combine all tuna ingredients and shape into 6 cakes about 2.5 in in diameter. Heat a skillet over medium heat and prep with vegetable oil. Cook cakes for 6-8 mins or until golden brown, turning once. Serve with sauce and sides of choice – Enjoy!
Frying up the tuna cakes. . .
Voila! (And as always I have to have my salad)
***The side is a corn pudding which was actually a great accompaniment. Here’s the how-to on that one: Combine 2 c whole kernel corn, 1 1/4 c low fat buttermilk, 2 lg eggs (or substitutes), 1 tbsp melted margarine, 1 tsp salt and white pepper each. Prep a 6.5 in baking pan and bake for 45 – 50 mins (closer to 50) at 350.
Nutritional Information:
Tuna Cakes (per cake):
Calories: 133
Total fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 24 mg
Sodium: 416 mg
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 17 g
Corn Pudding:
Calories: 133
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 3 mg
Sodium: 313 mg
Carbohydrate: 22 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 8 g
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