Jalapeno Popper Pizza

This recipe is definitely one of my husband's favorite dinners.  It's a perfect snack for guys night.  It has three of his requirements for a well balanced meal: bacon, jalapeno and cheese.  It also has a good does of veggies from the jalapeno peppers and the red peppers.  You can use a homemade pizza crust if you would like, but since this is usually one of our quick dinners with just use premade.  You can also adjust how hot it is by adding the jalapeno seeds.  I usually add one or two jalapenos worth of seeds and it's a good compromise between what my husband likes (mouth on fire heat) and what I like (being able to taste my food).  You could adjust how much cheese there is if someone in your house likes super cheesy, just put extra cheddar on part of the pizza.

Ingredients

1 12" premade pizza crust
9 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup chopped red peppers
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced (save the seeds if you like your food little hotter)
1 8 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large pan, cook the bacon until almost crispy. Add the red and jalapeno peppers the pan (add the seeds too if you like), cook until the peppers have softened. Stir the bacon and pepper mixture into the cream cheese. Spread over the pizza crust and sprinkle with cream cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheddar cheese has melted.
 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 294.5

• Total Fat: 5.4 g
• Cholesterol: 20.0 mg
• Sodium: 930.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 38.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
• Protein: 20.2 g

Breaded Baked Chicken with Cheesy Potatoes

Every once in a while I come up with a recipe that I'm seriously impressed with.  This cheesy potato and bacon recipe is one of them.  I was craving some potatoes, and I knew there was some bacon and cream cheese in the fridge that needed to get used soon. 
The chicken is a really simple recipe that can be altered to your tastes, just play with adding different herbs and spices.  Or marinate the chicken before breading them, like I did.  I started with barbecue marinated chicken breasts that we had in the freezer.
I know the calorie count for the potatoes seem a little high for a side dish, but when they were served up with the chicken and broccoli (like in the picture), the entire plate is less than 500 calories. 

Twice Cooked Cheesy Potatoes and Bacon

Ingredients

1 large potato, sliced
6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cup chopped bacon
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 oz fat free cream cheese
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish.
In a large pan, pan fry the potatoes, bacon, chopped onion and minced garlic. When the bacon is cooked and the potatoes are fork tender, transfer them to the prepared baking dish.
In the same pan, add the butter, flour, garlic powder and onion powder. Keep moving the butter and flour around the pan until it thickens. Add the milk, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese to the pan, stirring until everything melts and forms a sauce.
Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the baking pan, gently stirring the potatoes so they're well coated.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and bubbly, and the potatoes are tender.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 246.2

• Total Fat: 8.3 g
• Cholesterol: 32.7 mg
• Sodium: 478.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 26.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 15.6 g

Breaded Baked Chicken

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the flour, garlic and onion powders together in a large, flat bowl. Press the chicken breast into the flour mixture, lightly coating both sides. Place them in a lightly greased baking dish.
Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes, flipping it over halfway through. Cut into the thickest part of one of them to check that they are cooked all the way through.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 146.7

• Total Fat: 1.1 g
• Cholesterol: 55.0 mg
• Sodium: 331.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
• Protein: 24.1 g

Sausage Potato Soup

Since winter has taken hold of our part of Texas, it's time to pull out some recipes that warm you up.  And if this one worked while I was growing up in North Dakota (where it's not uncommon to spend days below freezing), it'll definitely work wherever you are! 

I haven't tried it yet, but you might be able to skip dicing the potatoes if you use a bag of the frozen diced potatoes, like the ones by the hashbrowns or the ones you steam in the microwave to make mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 14 oz package smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 cups water
1 bag coleslaw mix
3 cups milk (at least 1%)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Parsley to garnish, if desired

Directions

In a large soup pan, combine sausage, potatoes, onions with a little salt and pepper. Add five cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cooked for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cabbage and cook for ten more minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups of milk, mix the remaining milk with the flour, stir into soup. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring often. Stir in cheese until melted.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 167.4

• Total Fat: 6.6 g
• Cholesterol: 35.5 mg
• Sodium: 483.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 13.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
• Protein: 12.0 g

Spaghetti Cups

I love easy and tasty recipes, and this is one of them!  They're perfect for grab and go meals, or when everyone needs to eat at different times.  Just serve them with some veggies and you'll have a complete meal.  The leftovers can be thrown in the freezer and reheated later.

Ingredients

24 wonton wrappers
1/2 pound ground beef
1 15 oz can no salt chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place two wonton wrappers in each cup of a 12 cup muffin tin, overlapping to make a wonton cup.
In a large saute pan, brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, and rosemary to the pan.  Cook on high until all of the liquid is gone, about five minutes.
Spoon the meat mixture evenly among the wonton cups. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake for about 10 minutes.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 109.3

• Total Fat: 3.5 g
• Cholesterol: 15.4 mg
• Sodium: 175.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 12.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 5.9 g

 

Mediterranean Pizza

Most of the time, what ingredients you chose to use in your recipes really makes a difference when it comes to the nutritional values.  When you buy canned foods try to makes sure that it's packed in water or juice, not oil or syrup.  It can really rack up the calories and fat.  It might take a little extra time when you're out shopping, but compare the labels and make sure that you are getting the most nutritional ingredients you can.

 

This is a simple little recipe, it doesn't really require much prep work.  It's a delicious twist on a regular pizza.  The trick to keeping it lower in calories and fat is to really pay attention to what you are using to make it.  I made notes in the ingredients so you know what I used, but of course you're welcomed to make it your own!

 

Ingredients

1 mini flat bread (I used Flat Out Mini with Whole Grains)
2 tablespoons hummus (I used my homemade hummus)
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
4 pieces of canned artichoke hearts packed in water
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the hummus over the flat bread, then top with the peppers, olives, artichoke hearts and cheese. Bake for about ten minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 241.6

• Total Fat: 6.5 g
• Cholesterol: 5.0 mg
• Sodium: 889.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 19.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
• Protein: 11.8 g

 

 

 

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I love this recipe!  You can really alter to your taste, use spicier barbecue sauce if you like more of a bite (like my husband) or you can use a sweeter sauce if you prefer (like me).  Plus you can use whatever marinade you like, or none at all.  You can even grill it if you'd like a smokier flavor.  This recipe makes two servings, you can share the pizza or save some for later.  It's a really quick recipe, so it would be good for those nights when you don't know what else to make.  If you forget to pull out the chicken ahead of time, just microwave it for a few minutes to defrost it and use some barbecue rub instead of marinade.

 

Ingredients

1 small pizza crust (I used Mama Mia's Thin and Crispy 8")
4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, marinaded in your favorite flavor and diced
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425.
Cook the diced chicken breasts until no longer pink.
Spread the barbecue sauce over the pizza crust, then layer on the chicken and cheese.
Bake or grill it over indirect medium heat for 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 241.4

• Total Fat: 4.8 g
• Cholesterol: 29.4 mg
• Sodium: 856.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 31.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 17.0 g

Stuffed Pepper Bowl

The husband and I both like stuffed peppers, I just don't like the fuss that comes with making them.  So I thought I'd try to find an easier way to have the flavors from a stuffed pepper in a easier to make form.  This is what I came up with.  I could see this being great when you have left over rice or you could make twice the amount of rice called for and use the leftovers the next day to make fried rice.  I like to add some garlic powder and onion powder to the rice while it's cooking.  It gives it just a little more flavor without extra calories or sodium.

 

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup chopped onions
2 red peppers, diced
1 can no sodium diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon basil

 

Directions

In a large pan, cook the ground beef, onions and garlic. Add the red peppers and cook for three minutes or until slightly softened. Add the can of tomatoes, rice and basil. Cook for a few more minutes, until most of the liquid has been cooked off.

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 316.4

• Total Fat: 12.7 g
• Cholesterol: 40.1 mg
• Sodium: 657.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g
• Protein: 15.3 g

 

 

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Potato Soup

This is a great slow cooker recipe.  It has my husband's three favorite ingredients: bacon, ranch and cheese.  Amazingly, it's only 176 calories per serving and a serving is about a cup and a half of soup.  So you could add a topping or two without any guilt.    I like my soup a little less chunky, so about half an hour before serving I scooped out the diced potato and mashed it a bit.  Depending how thick you like your soup, you may need to whisk a little flour into the pot.  You can reduce the sodium count a bit by using lower sodium beef broth and ranch mix.

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, diced
1 12-oz can fat free evaporated milk
1 cup beef broth
3 cups water
1 packet ranch mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices center cut bacon, diced

Directions

In a large pan, saute the bacon, garlic and onions until the bacon is starting to brown.
In a slow cooker, whisk the ranch mix into the evaporated milk, then combine with the water and beef broth. Add the potatoes, cheese, and bacon mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on low for eight to ten hours.
You can top the soup with some onion straws, parsley, a little sour cream or whatever else sounds good to you. (Extras aren't included in nutrition facts.)

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 176.3
• Total Fat: 1.7 g
• Cholesterol: 10.9 mg
• Sodium: 830.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 25.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
• Protein: 14.7 g

Cheesy Salsa Pasta

Apparently tonight's dinner was an absolute home run.  The husband said I could make this any time I want and he went back for seconds, not to mention nummy comments while he was eating.  The sauce part of it only took as long as getting the water to boil and pasta cooked.  You can adjust the spicy factor by using hotter or mild salsa.  You could use just regular ground beef or turkey, but the sausage adds an extra layer of flavor (without any extra work).

 

Ingredients

6 oz uncooked pasta
1/2 pound turkey sausage
1/4 cup fat free cream cheese
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions.
Cook the sausage in a large pan. Stir in the cream and cheddar cheeses. When it's mostly melted add the pasta and salsa, stir until everything is well coated.

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 356.9

• Total Fat: 13.2 g
• Cholesterol: 53.8 mg
• Sodium: 877.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 38.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 22.3 g

 

 

 

Eggplant "Bruschetta"

Sometimes when I try to create something new it doesn't quite work out.  Sometimes it does but it doesn't quite make it to "Man-Approved" status.  Unfortunately, this was one of those creations.  I thought it was pretty tasty, but the husband wasn't as big of a fan.  He had never had eggplant before and didn't really like the texture of it.  But he thought the breading/toppings would be good on chicken.  I thought I'd put this up for you guys, in case your husbands do like eggplant.  Let me know if you try it and it meets approval from your guys (or roommates, friends, whatever).

Ingredients

For Eggplant:
2 Medium Eggplant, cut into 1/2" slices
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon oregano

For Topping:
2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and onion powders, basil, rosemary and oregano. Place some of the breadcrumb mixture on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Press the eggplant slices into the breadcrumbs, covering both sides. Gently brush off the excess (you want just a thin coat). Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, flip, then cook for another ten minutes.
While that is in the oven, combine the chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, onion and basil in a bowl. After the eggplant is done baking, spoon the tomato mixture on each slice. Top evenly with the mozzarella and bake for another five minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 240.5
• Total Fat: 2.6 g
• Cholesterol: 7.4 mg
• Sodium: 363.0 mg
• Total Carbs: 43.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 11.1 g
• Protein: 10.4 g

 

 

Zucchini Sausage Pasta



Growing up in the country, or at least my part of North Dakota, meant you'd have an endless supply of two things: rhubarb and zucchini.  I don't think we could have gived it away if we wanted to.  Luckily, rhubarb freezes pretty well and we had quite a few recipes for zucchini.  This is a bit of a twist on something that we used to make to try using up some of the zucchini.  In the old version we used summer sausage and a quite a bit of it.  In this one I used turkey sausage, so it has the same sort of flavor, but less fat and calories.  For me and the husband, I add more of the zucchini to my bowl so he doesn't have as much.

 

 

Ingredients

6 ounces pasta, cooked
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 thick half circles
7 oz turkey link sausage, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 thick half circles
2 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup milk

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions and set aside.
In a large pan, lightly saute the sausage and zucchini together for about five minutes, just until the zucchini started to brown. Set aside.
Melt the butter in the same pan used to saute the sausage and zucchini. Add the flour, garlic and onion powders and stir until it forms a paste. Whisk in the milk a bit at a time to make sure there's no clumps. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then add the sausage mixture and pasta. Toss to coat, let it sit on the heat until the sauce is the thickness you'd like.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 324.6
• Total Fat: 9.6 g
• Cholesterol: 47.1 mg
• Sodium: 552.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 44.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 16.8 g



 

 

Chili

It's been a little chilly and rainy here today, so what better for dinner than chili?  I've never made it from scratch before, I usually just use the premade chili mix and go from there.  Today I decided to give homemade a try.  I'm actually pretty impressed with how it turned out.

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onions
14.5 oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can of chili beans
8 oz can of no salt added tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup of water

Directions

Cook the ground beef and onion in a large pan. Add the canned ingredients, water, and spices, mix well. Cook on low for until it reaches the consistancy you prefer, mine cooked for about half an hour.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 280.7
• Total Fat: 11.0 g
• Cholesterol: 38.8 mg
• Sodium: 608.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 31.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9.5 g
• Protein: 18.5 g



 

Spinach Pesto Chicken Pasta



This would be a great dish to really make your own.  As I was putting it together I kept thinking of different things I could do to modify it in the future, like adding some cherry tomatoes or bacon.  Maybe topping it with a little extra shredded parmesan.  It's just around 300 calories, so as long as you don't go crazy you can add a few extras and still have it fit into your diet.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 boneless skinless chicke breast, diced
3 cups cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions

Combine the basil, spinach, parmesan, garlic and onion powders together in a food processor, blend until smooth.
In a large frying pan, cook the chicken breast until lightly browned. Add the pesto and spaghetti noodles, stir until well mixed. You may have to add a little water so the pesto coats the spaghetti and chicken better (use the water used to cook the pasta).
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 293.0
• Total Fat: 4.6 g
• Cholesterol: 52.2 mg
• Sodium: 208.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 26.7 g

 

 

Bacon "Spaghetti" Pie

I saw a recipe for spaghetti pie and thought it looked delicious, but it was over 550 calories per serving and didn't have any veggies.  I thought I could change it up and make it healthier.  I replaced the pasta with spaghetti squash, which does give it a little sweeter taste, but it works well with the bacon.  A lot of recipes call for half and half or cream, which I switched out fat free evaporated milk.  It still has a creaminess, but without the extra fat and calories.  You could use mozzarella cheese instead of parmesan if you wanted to.

 

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 6 cups cooked squash)
8 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 eggs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 basil leaves, chopped
1 - 12 oz can fat free evaporated milk
1 onion, chopped

Directions

Cook the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place both halves in a baking pan with about an inch of water in the bottom. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. When it is done, scrape the squash out of the shell with a fork, separating the strands as you do.

In a bowl combine the eggs, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, the milk, garlic and basil. Add the beans, squash and onions. Transfer everything to a 2 quart round baking pan or a 9 inch square pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Let it cool for at least ten minutes before cutting.

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 239.3
• Total Fat: 9.9 g
• Cholesterol: 143.2 mg
• Sodium: 528.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 20.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 18.0 g



 

Taco Chicken Chili

I love slow cooker meals.  You toss a bunch of stuff in the cooker, put the lid on and just let it do it's thing.  It's really great for when you aren't sure when everyone will be home for dinner or if you have a busy afternoon/evening and you don't what to get stuck eating take out. 

Chili is one of those things that you can really make your own.  If you like it hotter, just add some extra chili powder or jalapenos to the slow cookers.  If you're like my husband, you can add a bunch of cheese, crushed corn chips and sour cream (or ranch dip).  If you're more like me, it tastes great just as it is.  This recipe will make a lot, so you can make it when you have company or save it for leftovers.  It's just about 200 calories for a one cup serving, so you could even splurge a little with the toppings or an extra serving.

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cans no salt added stewed tomatoes
1 can chili beans, undrained
1 can green chili peppers, undrained
6 ounces frozen corn
1 packet lower sodium taco seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with visible fat removed

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients except the chicken in a crock pot. Lay the chicken breasts on top and cook for six to eight hours on high. If it looks a little dry add a small can of tomato sauce.  About 30 minutes before serving, take out the chicken and cut or shred into small pieces. Don't worry too much if it looks a little watery, most of it will will absorbed after you shred the chicken.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 209.7
• Total Fat: 1.9 g
• Cholesterol: 40.0 mg
• Sodium: 945.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 32.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 7.3 g
• Protein: 21.6 g 

Slow Cooked Beef and Beer Open Faced Sandwiches

So I know the last recipe I posted wasn't the greatest, but I think I'm making it up with this one.  This is definitely something most men would enjoy, especially after you tell them it has beer in it.  There's a couple of different ways you can shred meat, I tried something new.  It was the Mix and Chop from Pampered Chef.  I had some doubts about how it would work, but it did really well.  My timeline for finishing this up was I got the rolls in the oven and tossed some veggies in the microwave.  Then I shredded up the beef and stirred in the flour.  Pulled out the rolls and got the table ready while the veggies finished up.  I think it took me maybe ten minutes, at the most, to get this finished up and on the table; making it perfect for busy days.

 

Ingredients

1 pound roast
1 can of light beer (miller 64 has the fewest calories)
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup flour
6 onion rolls
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Place the roast in a slow cooker. Cover with the beer and broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and whisk in the flour. Shred the beef using whatever method you like and return it to the slow cooker. Mix everything together, it should form a somewhat thick gravy.

Cut the rolls in half and evenly divide the cheese between them. Broil the rolls at 500 degree for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Top the rolls with the beef and enjoy!
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 437.4
• Total Fat: 17.2 g
• Cholesterol: 47.9 mg
• Sodium: 575.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 27.8 g



 

 



Baked Herbed Fish

I know how good fish is for you and I've been trying to find a healthy way to eat it that I would like.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure that I've found it yet.  The only way I've had fish that I I actually liked was my grandmother's beer battered catfish, which I don't think is really all that healthy for you (something about the deep frying that kinda kills the health benefits).  I'm not saying that this wasn't good, just not to my taste.  The hubby liked it, but he did make a comment about it maybe tasting more like health food.  He added a little lemon juice to his fish, I didn't think it made much difference.

 

I served it with what I call baked potato slices.  Basically it's a potato sliced into 1/4 inch slices, sprinkled with some herbs or spices (which ones depend on the day) and then cooked in the microwave for five to ten minutes.  You wanted them tender, not crunchy.  I discovered these when I was trying to make homemade potato chips one day.  They didn't work for chips, but they were pretty taste and they've stuck around the menu.

 

Now on to the fish:

Ingredients

8 oz tilapia filets
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, basil and rosemary in a shallow bowl. Coat both sides of the filets by pressing them into the flour mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, turning over about halfway through.

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 199.3
• Total Fat: 3.3 g
• Cholesterol: 45.7 mg
• Sodium: 92.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 18.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
• Protein: 25.9 g

 

Smoky Sausage Pasta

This is something to throw together real quick when you forgot to plan for dinner, like I did tonight.  I actually had the sauce done before the pasta was.  It smells fantastic while it's on the stove and tastes just as good.  By sauting the sausage for a little bit before adding the rest of the ingredients you develop the flavor a little more.

 

Ingredients

6 ounces of pasta, cooked
10 ounces turkey smoked sausage
1 can of sodium free diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package. Slice the turkey smoked sausage into 1/4 inch rounds and lightly saute in a large pan. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sour cream, worchestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about ten minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the noodle and serve.

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 359.2
• Total Fat: 9.3 g
• Cholesterol: 67.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,079.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 49.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 19.4 g

 

Taco Turkey Meatloaf



This is one of my favorite recipes just because of how easy it is.  Just mix some stuff together and toss it in the microwave.  I was lucky enough this time around to test it out on a couple of our closest friends.  They loved it, which is saying something because one of them doesn't like turkey meat too much.  Kind of like the Cheddar Ranch Burgers from a couple of weeks ago, this has so much flavor in it that you don't realize that it's ground turkey.  I like to use the Deep Covered Baker for stuff like this in the microwave because it has a lid and it's microwave safe, but you can use anything that is microwave safe and just use plastic wrap to cover it.  You can also make it in the oven, it just takes a bit longer but then you can use any pan you have.

 

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Combine the ground turkey, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, taco seasoning, lemon juice, chili powder and garlic powder together in a large bowl until well mixed. In a microwave safe glass or stoneware container, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Loosely cover with a lid or plastic wrap and microwave for 15 - 17 minutes. Top with the salsa and cheese, microwave for another 3 - 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.

To use the oven instead of the microwave, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the meatloaf for 30 - 35 minutes.

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 242.8
• Total Fat: 4.8 g
• Cholesterol: 55.0 mg
• Sodium: 928.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 16.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 31.8 g



 

 

Salisbury Steak with Red Wine Sauce and Cheese Toast

This is another of my husband's favorite dinners.  There's a lot of herbs in it, so it's really flavorful without adding oils or butter.  I know you need some fat in your diet, but I try not to add too much while I'm cooking.  The red wine in the sauce really adds a richness to the sauce.  And it might look like it would take a while to make this, but it comes together pretty quickly.  I start by preparing the toast for the oven and getting the steaks ready for the pan.  After I get the steaks in the pan they don't need much attention until it's time to turn them, so I use the time to mix the sauce ingredients.  The toasts are usually ready to come out of the oven just after the steaks get turned.  Soon as they come out of the pan the sauce goes in and I toss some broccoli in the microwave.  Then it's just a matter of getting the food on the plates.

 

This is one of those dinners that can be altered easily to please husbands that don't want "diet" food.  For my husband I add a little extra cheese to his toasts and mix the broccoli with a bit of butter and garlic powder.  That way we're both happy and I don't have to make two different dinners.

 

Ingredients

For the steaks:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon basil

For the sauce:
1 cup beef broth (preferably low sodium)
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon basil

For the toast:
2 onion rolls, halved
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

For the toast:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Combine the garlic powder and butter, spread equally between the onion roll halves. Top with cheese and bake for three to four minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

For the steak:
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Form into four thick patties (roughly one inch thick). Cook in a large pan on high for about three minutes on each side. Remove from the pan but leave the drippings (if there are any) in the pan to make the sauce.

For the sauce:
Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a measuring cup.  After removing the steaks from the pan, add the sauce mixture to the pan. Let it come to a boil on high heat for about a minute, then turn the temperature down to medium high and simmer for an additional four or five minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce should be the consistancy of a thick gravy.

To serve place the steaks on the toast and top with the sauce.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 371.4
• Total Fat: 13.9 g
• Cholesterol: 82.5 mg
• Sodium: 563.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 31.1 g