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Burgers:
- 1/2 lb ground lamb
- Juice of 1/2 an orange
- Salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into 2 patties. Grill over medium-high heat about 5 min per side for medium.
Salsa:
- 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/2 a mango, cut into small chunks
- Cilantro to taste
- ~ 1 tbs lime juice (fresh or bottled)
Combine all ingredients in bowl.
Cayenne Grilled Corn:
Spray corn with no-cal butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Wrap tightly in tin foil. Grill over medium heat 20 min turning occasionally. Grilled Garlic
Green Beans:
Make a pouch out of tin foil. Place in green beans. Spray lightly with oil or butter. Roughly chop 1 clove garlic and add to pouch. Toss in a handful of slivered almonds. Seal pouch leaving a slight opening for air to escape. Grill over medium heat 20 min turning occasionally.
For the (healthy) kid at heart.
I just used a wheat pancake/waffle mix and followed the direction on the box to make a waffle. Then I used whatever fresh fruit I had on hand to make a face complete with whip-cream hair. Drizzle on some low-cal syrup and no wonder this waffle is smiling!
When most people hear the phrase chicken salad, they immediately think globs of fatty mayo smothering bits of chicken with a few other ingredients hidden in there. To some, this may be just fine, but I prefer a lighter version where I can actually taste both the chicken and whatever else is in it. I always though my mom made the best chicken salad and would look forward to it every summer as she always said it was a "summer dish" (now why, exactly, I do not know). I love it because there is big chunks of all the ingredients and it is filled with lots of delicious flavors. Also, it's not drenched in mayo.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup chopped cooked chicken
-1/2 a small can of water chestnuts
- 1 small can mandarin oranges
- 1 small can pineapple chunks (reserve some of the juices)
- 1/2 cup grapes, halved
- 1/2 tbs soy sauce
- 1/4 cup light mayo + 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or 1/2 cup light mayo)
- Handful of slivered almonds, toasted
- Chinese noodles
To make the dressing, combine the mayo, Greek yogurt, soy sauce, and 1 tbs pineapple juice. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Toss with dressing. Can be made ahead of time. Garnish with Chinese noodles and almonds before serving (so as to prevent sogginess).
I served this on a bed of lettuce I had leftover with a drizzle of poppyseed dressing for added flavor.
Serve alongside your favorite bread for scooping and dipping.
Buffalo wings make a great appetizer, but we all know they are not the healthiest item to consume before your (or as your) meal. Instead, these buffalo tenders get a slimmed down make-over and become the star in these Caesar wraps.
Buffalo Chicken Tenders:
- 1/2 cup (whole-wheat) flour
- 1/2 cup (whole-wheat) bread crumbs
- 2 egg yokes
- Buffalo sauce
- 4-5 chicken tenders (enough for 2 meals)
- Salt and Pepper
Place the flour, egg yokes, and bread crumbs in separate bowls (in that order) to create an assembly line. Coat each tender in the flour; shake off any excess. Dip into the egg yoke mixture and finished off with a coating of bread crumbs. Lay flat on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees about 7 min per side (flipping once). Once done, allow to cool. Cut tenders into bite sized pieces and toss with buffalo sauce--as much or as little to taste.
Assembly:
Using whichever wrap you prefer/have on hand, fill it with lettuce of your choosing, diced tomatoes, croutons (store-bought or homemade), Parmesan cheese, and your buffalo tenders. Drizzle with Caesar dressing. Wrap tightly and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh or refrigerated orange juice
- 1 tbs finely minced fresh ginger or 1/2 tbs ground ginger
- 1 lb salmon filets
Steps:
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Coat with nonstick spray.
2. In a sauce pan, combine vinegar, maple syrup, orange juice and ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce until about 1/4 cup remains. Divide in half, reserving half.
3. Place salmon on grill, skin side up. Grill for about 4 min and flip. Brush generously with glaze. Cook for another 4 min, or until cooked through, basting frequently.
4. When fish is done, remove to a serving plate and drizzle with reserved marinade.
I served the salmon over jasmine rice that I cooked with beef broth instead of water (adds flavor) and spruced it up with green beans, sauteed spinach and corn.
This recipe comes from the Publix "Apron's Simple Meals" collection (you know, the one where they give you the free samples whenever you walk into Publix). They're really quite convenient; everything you need for that nights meal is right there already gathered for you and the recipe card breaks everything down including utensils, cookware, shortcuts & tips.
Ingredients:
- large zip-top bag
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt (or garlic powder)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 lb beef flank steak (or any other similar variety - I used skirt)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
- 3 tbs chipotle mustard (which I was just going to wing by combining chipotle peppers with regular mustard, no need to buy a whole thing of mustard I'm just going to use 3 tbs of, when I noticed the family I babysit for happened to have some in their fridge which I "borrowed")
- 1 tbs chipotle hot pepper sauce
- aluminum foil
- 6 hamburger buns or 1 french baguette
Steps:
1. (It says to do it in the oven, but you know how I feel about ovens and summer, so I did it on the grill instead). Preheat grill on high. Place in zip-top bag ingredients 2-4 and shake to mix. Add flank steak; seal tightly and knead bag to evenly coat the steak. Grill 8-10min per side (depending on thickness) for medium steak.
2. Combine remaining ingredients (except bread) in a medium bowl. Sauce may be warmed, if desired. Place in microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until warm.
3. Transfer steak to cutting board and cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 min. Slice meat thinly (across the grain). Lightly toast bread and place meat atop. Top with sauce and serve.
The recipe yields 6 serves, but I cut it in 1/3's for just me and my dad. Measurements don't have to be exact.
This was served with a side salad. The meat was nice and flavorful with fruity undertones and a kick from the chiptole peppers.
A Greek-inspired weight watchers recipe. Salty feta cheese adds a kick to these poultry-based burgers. Other Greek ingredients add more great flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb uncooked ground chicken breast
- 1 tbs fresh oregano (I just eyeballed sprinkling dried oregano)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powdered
- 7 tbsp feta cheese (I used reduced fat), crumbled
- ~1 to 2 tbs hummus
- 4 reduced-calorie hamburger rolls
- 1 cup lettuce
- 2/3 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
- Black olives, sliced (about 4 tsp)
Instructions:
Preheat grill or broiler.
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, oregano, garlic powder, hummus and feta; divide mixture into four balls and then press them gently into patties.
Grill or b roil patties until internal temperature of burgers reaches 165 degrees, about 7-8min per side.
Serve each burger on a bun spread with hummus and topped with lettuce, peppers, and olives.
(For those of you counting or interested...):
Points Value: 5
The Philly cheesesteak just may be America's most famous hero sandwich and this version lends us a new, different kind of hero. This recipe comes from a book (Now Eat This!) I received for graduation from a family friend who knows just how much I love (healthy) cooking.
Ingredients:
- Nonfat cooking spray
- 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 whole-wheat buns
- 3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium beef broth
- 3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz sliced lean roast beef (from the deli counter)
- 6 slices of your favorite cheese
- ketchup
1. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, spray it well with cooking spray and add the onion and pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover the pan, and cook , stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 12min.
2. Meanwhile, heat another pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, split the buns in half and place them on the pan, cut side down. All to char a little, about 1-2min. Remove from grill and set aside.
3. Combine the beef broth, chicken broth, and sliced roast beef in a medium saute pan, using a fork to separate the roast beef slices. Heat the beef gently over medium heat until the broth is hot but not boiling. Remove the beef, reserving the brother.
4. Divide the beef among the bottom halves of the toasted buns. Top each sandwich with 1 1/2 slices of the cheese. Top the cheese with the hot onion-pepper mixture, and then the ketchup. Close the sandwiches with the bun tops, and serve them with the warm broth for dipping.
Before After
Fat 50g 7.6g
Calories 902 344
Every year we host Rosh Hashanah dinner and this year I'M in charge. It's been tradition that my mom has made apricot chicken and it has always been a crowd pleaser. I decided to stick with this dish and do a test run (even though Rosh Hashanah's is 2 months away). After doing a recipe sweep and going through and cleaning out all the recipes we have acquired over the years, I still could not find my mom's Rosh Hashanah apricot chicken so I had to improvise and pull from other sources.
The winner, which I decided to go with, is from Cooking Light:
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves (I used a sugar-free-with-fiber one which definitely forfeited some of the sweet flavor. I would either go with 1/2 and 1/2 next time or just use regular sugary preserves)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp bottled minced garlic
- 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- (3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook 2 min, turn. Brush exposed side with sauce and cook 2 min. Turn and brush, cooking 2 min. Turn and brush a fine time cooking 2 min. (Total of 8 min or 3 turns). Juices should run clear and chicken should no longer be pink inside.
On the side-Grilled Green Beans:
As usual, I wanted to do everything on the grill, but how does one grill greenbeans? I decided to be innovative and make individual steam pouches. I took 4 squares of tin foil and placed a serving of greenbeans in the middle of each one. I then shaped the tin foil into a pouch leaving the top open. I drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and then sealed the pouches shut leaving a tiny opening for steam to escape. These were placed on the grill over medium heat for around 20 min.
Homemade Challah:
Every year, we look forward to Rosh Hashanah dinner for my Aunt Rosalie's homemade challah (especially the cinnamon-sugar one with raisins!). I have her recipe on file and decided to give it a go--maybe I'll make my own challah this year for Rosh Hashanah?! Now, I'm not going to give you the recipe since it's a family recipe and we've got to keep some things sacred, but I will tell you, challah making is an all day event with a lot of pounding and kneading and waiting and repeating. Being the science nerd that I am, it's neat watching the yeast in action. The challah turned out perfect and delicious. A nice golden brown exterior and a warm, dense interior.
This is another recipe adapted from eatbetteramerica.com. Lamb is great for a special dinner and the fruit sauce is sure to impress, but oh-so-easy to make.
prep time: 20 min
start to finish: 40 min
serves: 4
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 large pear, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/8 tsp ground clove (DON'T use whole cloves and try to crush them yourself. I did this and it turned out to be too strong and pungent of a flavor.)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries (thawed)
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice (or, if you don't have allspice like me for some reason, you can mix equal amounts of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg)
- 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 4 4-5 oz lamb rib chops, cut 1 inch thick or 8 3 oz lamb loin chops cut 1 inch thick (I used lamb loin chops ~1 inch think. I bought a pack of 3 that came to just under 1lb)
1. For sauce: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add pear, green onions, and cloves; cook about 3 minutes or just until pear is tender.
2. Add blackberries; reduce heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often; remove from heat. Stir in red wine vinegar. Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, stir together allspice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over chops; rub in with your fingers. Place chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill until desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling. Allow 12 to 14 minutes for medium-rare doneness (145°F) or 15 to 17 minutes for medium doneness (160°F).
4. Serve with sauce.
On the side: Grilled Asparagus
Thread a wooden skewer (soaked in water for about 20min) through asparagus leaving space between each one. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill 2-3min per side.
Serve with a nice bread toasted lightly on the grill.
This recipe comes from eatbetteramerica.com.
A homemade, tangy yogurt and fruit dressing tops off a delicious turkey salad that is ready in under 15-min. Not to mention, the whole meal comes in at under 300 calories (not including the bread served on the side!)
Strawberry-Yogurt Dressing
- 2 (6oz) containers strawberry yogurt
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
In a blender or food processor, combine ingredients, cover, and blend on high speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Salad
- 1 bag spinach
- 1 ripe peach, cut into thin slices
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- Green onions, for garnish
- Almonds (I used a honey-cinnamon almond to give it a sweet kick)
- Deli turkey meat
Arrange all ingredients on a plate and drizzle with dressing. Serve with bread.
This was a very simple, quick, light, and delicious meal (and low in calories!).
I made the tzatziki sauce Sunday when I did my prep work; this allowed all the flavors to integrate and marinate together for the best, most flavorful sauce.
Tzatziki is a Greek or Turkish meze or appetizer also used as a sauce. Tzatziki is made with strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, and various other spices and flavors. It is such a simple dish to make and pairs well with all sorts of breads, meats or vegetables.
Tzatziki
- 1 single serve carton of plain (not vanilla) Greek yogurt
- 1/2 large cucumber
- minced garlic, to taste
- mint, oregano, basil, salt
Wash the cucumber and slice width wise into circles. Place on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cover with another paper towel and leave for an hour or so to allow to moisture to absorb from the cucumbers.
Finely dice the cucumbers and add to the Greek yogurt. Add about a teaspoon of garlic and season to taste with mint, oregano, basil, and salt. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
Salmon
- 4-6oz of salmon per person
- Olive oil
- Dill
- Salt, pepper
Brush the salmon lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and dill. Grill on a medium-hot grill 3-4 min per side.
Serve alongside tzatziki with a tomato-cucumber salad and some pita chips.
