Salmon Chowder

  • 1/3 cup chopped carrot
  • 4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups water + 2 bruillon cubes)
  • 1 cup water (if desired to thin, I didn’t add any)
  • 2 5 oz cans salmon
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen broccoli and cauliflower mix, thawed and coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions, or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chives
  • 1 1/3 cups instant mashed potato flakes (1 pouch, any flavor), or 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Parboil carrots in water in the microwave (about 4 minutes).
  2. Add broth, (water), salmon, brocoli/cauliflower and chives (or scallions) to a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add carrots.
  3. Stir potato flakes (or leftover mashed potatoes) and mustard into the soup until well blended. Return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition
Calories 161
Fat 1.5
Cholesterol 21mg
Sodium 1489mg
Potassium 603mg
Carbs 21.5g
Fiber 2.5g
Sugars 2g
Protein 16g

Baked Balsamic Garlic Asparagus

  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.
  1. Preheat the oven to 400
  2. Break the bottom tips off the asparagus (there’s a place it naturally breaks off)
  3. (If desired) peel the asparagus with a potato peeler (it makes it softer when cooked).
  4. Place aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and spray w/ cooking spray. Place the asparagus on the foil.
  5. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and spices. Roll the asparagus around in the vinegar/spices until coated.
  6. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Makes 2 servings (about 12 pieces of asparagus each)

Nutrition
Calories 44
Fat .5g
Sodium 585mg
Potassium 524mg
Carbs 9g
Fiber 4g
Protein 4.5g

Parmesan Breaded Pork Chops

  • 1 lb pork chops (about 4 chops)
  • 2 TBSP reduced fat parmesan
  • 2 TBSP italian style bread crumbs
  • cooking spray

1. Trim the fat off the pork. Heat a pan on the stove to medium-high.
2. Mix the bread crumbs and the parmesan together in a shallow bowl.
3. Dredge the meat on both sides in the parmesan mixture.
4. Spray the pan with cooking spray and lay the pork chops on the pan. Spray the top of the meat with cooking spray.
5. Cook several minutes on each side until the meat is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition
Calories 161
Sat Fat 5g
Sat Fat 2g
Cholesterol 62g
Sodium 246mg
Carbs 0
Protein 26g

Puerto Rican Fish Stew

  • 1 tbsp minced onion
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 4 tilapia fillets (or other flaky fish, such as haddock or flounder) cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (mine was about 13.5 oz fish)
  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper
  • 2 TBSP cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup water, as needed (I only used 1/4 cup)
  • *1 small avocado, chopped (optional)

  1. Add fish, tomatoes and their juices, pepper, cilantro, olives, garlic powder, minced onion, oregano and salt; stir to combine. Add up to 1/2 cup water if the mixture seems dry.
  2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm, garnished with avocado (if using).

4 servings

Nutrition
(soup only)
Calories 110
Fat 1.5g
Sat Fat .5g
Monosaturated fat .5g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 687mg
Potassium 3.5mg
Carbs 4g
Protein 19g

Add about 45 calories to the recipe if you top it with 28g avocado (1/3 small), as pictured above.

Lettuce Wraps

A yummy PF Chang’s copy cat.

Mixture

  • 9 oz chicken tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup water chestnuts (or about 5 baby carrots work too)
  • 1/2 cup canned mushrooms (or fresh works)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped onions (YUCK, I omit these)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 6-8 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce (I half this because it makes SO much)

  • 1/4 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sugar ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 1-2 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons splenda
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions.

  1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
  2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, mustard, tobasco and garlic powder.
  3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you’re ready to serve.
  4. Boil chicken for 10 minutes.
  5. Pour chicken in a strainer and cool.
  6. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts (or carrots) and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
  7. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, splenda, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
  8. When chicken is cool, shred it into small pieces.
  9. Heat a pan (or wok) to medium-high. When hot, coat with cooking spray.
  10. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
  11. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes
  12. Spoon the mixture in the lettuce”cups” (leaves) and roll up like burritos.
  13. Dip in “Special Sauce”.

Makes 3 servings (about 2 lettuce wraps each)

Nutrition
Mixture Only (Lettuce will add about 7 calories)
Calories 90
Fat .5g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 435mg
Potassium 196mg
Carbs 7.5g
Fiber 1g
Protein 16g

Sauce
Calories 15
Fat .5g
Sodium 584mg
Potassium 32g
Carbs 2g
Sugars 1g
Protein .5g

Tilapia with Pineapple Cilantro Sauce

  • 4 4oz tilapia fillets
  • 2 6 oz cans of pineapple tidbits
  • 3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
  • 2 TBSP lime juice
  • 2 TBSP water
  • 1 TBSP corn starch
  • 2 TBSP garlic powder
  • 1 TBSP minced cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
  • 1 TBSP splenda
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  1. Place tilapia in a baking dish coated in cooking spray. Sprinkle with Salt & Pepper and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, Combine pineapple, pineapple juice, lime juice and garlic in medium saucepan. Heat to boiling.
  3. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Combine cold water and cornstarch; stir into boiling mixture.
  5. Boil, stirring constantly until thickened.
  6. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and jalapeno pepper.
  7. Stir in splenda, season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. To serve, spoon warm sauce over fish.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition
Calories 156
Fat 1g
Sat Fat .5g
Cholesterol 59mg
Potassium 87mg
Carbs 13g
Fiber 1g
Sugar 10g
Protein 22.5g

Taco Soup

    • 1lb Extra Lean Ground Beef
    • 1 can Black Beans, ranch style (I’ve substituted navy beans and/or canelini beans when I’m out of black)
    • 1 can Fiesta Mexican corn (or regular corn)
    • 1 can rotel
    • 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, no salt added
    • 1 package taco seasoning OR make your own:
    • 1 TBSP each: Chili powder, Garlic powder, minced onions, seasoning salt
    • 2 cans worth water.

    Optional:

    • Tortilla chips, crushed
    • Grated Cheese

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef and drain fat
2. Add taco seasonings, and all canned ingredients, juice included, and 2 cans water.
3. Bring to a boil and let stew for 10 minutes.

Put some grated cheese and crushed tortilla chips in it and enjoy!

Note: I also brown the meat and then dumb all the ingredients in the crockpot for later eating when we have church on Sunday nights, or are out of the house for errands all day Saturday, etc…

Makes 6-8 servings. Nutrition calculated for 8. If you add chips and cheese, it makes a good size meal for 8.

Nutrition (soup only)
Calories 139
Fat 2.5
Sat fat .5g
Cholesterol 28mg
Sodium 600mg
Carbs 16g
Fiber 2.5g
Sugars 2.5g
Protein 14g

Buffalo Chicken Skewers

  • 2 tbsp imitation butter (Promise Heart Smart, melted
  • 1/4 cup original cayenne pepper sauce or red pepper sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed (I don’t even know what this is, so I omitted it!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
  1. In medium bowl, mix butter, pepper sauce, honey, celery seed and salt. Place chicken in ziploc bag and add sauce mixture; Seal and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, soak ten 10- to 12-inch wooden skewers in water 30 minutes.
  3. Heat grill (or George Foreman grill). Remove chicken from marinade; Thread each chicken tender on a skewer. (I used the Foreman grill and added the skewers after cooking, for aestetics only)
  4. Cook for 4-5 minutes on the George Foreman grill, brushing frequently with reserved sauce mixture, until no longer pink in center. Discard any remaining sauce mixture. Serve chicken with blue cheese dressing.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition
Calories 100
Fat .5g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 395mg
Potassium 67mg
Carbs 6g
Protein 21g

Chocolate Chip Cake Bars

Can I just say…these are DELICIOUS!?!? I made several modifications to this recipe to make it healthier.

  • 1 Box reduced sugar yellow cake mix
  • 2 egg beaters
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar no calorie substitute
  • 2 TBSP splenda
  • 1/4 cup butter imitation (Promise Heart Smart)
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • another 1tbsp butter imitation.
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
  3. Spread in a 9×13 pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely
  4. Melt remaining 1/2 chocolate chips in a bowl with the imitation butter.
  5. Drizzle or spoon over cookies. Cut into bars.

Makes 15 cookies.

Nutrition
Calories 208
Fat 7g
Sat Fat 4g
Sodium 293mg
Carbs 37g
Fiber 1g
Sugars 8g
Protein 2.5g

String Cheese Mozzarella Sticks

  • 2 light string cheese sticks
  • .5 T flour
  • 2 TBSP Panko bread crumbs
  • Italian seasoning
  • 1.5 tbsp egg beaters
  • 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Cut the cheese sticks in half and place in a ziploc bag. Put 1/2 TBSP flour in the bag and shake to cover sticks.
  3. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Pour egg substitute into another shallow bowl. Dip the floured sticks in the egg beater, and then in bread crumbs and placed on sprayed cookie sheet.
  4. Spritz each cheese stick with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.
  5. If desired, serve with tomato sauce.

Makes 1 serving (4 stick) serving

Nutrition (w/o tomato sauce)
Calories 168
Fat 5g
Sat Fat 3g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 518mg
Carbs 10g
Protein 19g

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