Showing posts with label low fat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low fat. Show all posts
Grilled Lamb Steak with Mitsitam Cafe Chimichurri Sauce
Steamed Greens & Poached Egg
Recently, I've been making more low-carb/low-fat breakfasts and lunches, and a lot of times those meals are featuring greens, veggies and eggs. This time I decided to steam kale, spinach, onions and bell peppers together. Once all the veggies were tender, I gently cracked an egg over the top, poured a bit of water into the skillet to create a little steam, then put the lid on until the white of the egg was just set. Yum! I think this is such a nice, healthy way to start the day, or enjoy a light lunch. :)
Potassium Broth
I came across a recipe for a broth that is rumored to be used in health spas and healing clinics in Sweden, it's called ~ Potassium Broth. It sounded interesting; I just so happened to have a bunch of potato peels and veggie scraps that the recipe called for, just sitting in my freezer; and it's still a bit chilly and gray around here... So, I decided to give it a try. I used this recipe for my inspiration ~ adding a ham bone to the pot of broth since I had one hanging around in the freezer (and I need the space). It's a simple broth, easy to make and pretty good. Not a bad way to start the day, or for a light snack to keep the hunger pangs away, or as the beginnings for a pot of soup. :)
Sautéed Trout with Steamed Veggies
Lately, I've been buying fresh water fish for our meals, instead of ocean fish... and trout is my new favorite. It tastes similar to salmon and it's so simple to prepare. For this meal I just quickly sautéed the trout in a little olive oil and served it with some steamed veggies and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray. Low carb, low cal, low fat, quick & easy to cook, and it's Fat Flush Plan friendly ~ gotta love that. :)
BBQ Glazed Sweet Apple Chicken Sausages with Veggies
I didn't have a clue for what to make for dinner the night I threw together this tasty meal. So, I dug around the fridge and found a pack of my favorite Trader Joe's chicken sausages...but only the Sweet Apple flavor, not the Sun-Dried Tomato that I usually use. Hmmm... I'd never used that flavor for dinner before, only at breakfast since the Sweet Apple is a bit, well, sweet (in a maple/apple-flavored breakfast-y sort of way). I decided to try them since they're fully-cooked and just need to be heated through. I rummaged around a bit more and came up with the rest of the ingredients, for this meal-on-the-fly.
Steamed Superfood Veggies & Over Easy Eggs ~ Meatless Monday
To make this super simple breakfast/brunch/lunch/light dinner, I just steam a bunch of ~ chopped kale, baby bok choy, sliced onion, and bell peppers. When they're done, I toss them with some ~ Bragg's, crushed red pepper flakes, minced ginger and cracked black pepper. To complete my masterpiece I crown it with ~ an over easy egg, cooked to crispy-on-the-outside-and-runny-on-the-inside perfection, cut so the yolk runs down into the veggies, then misted with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and a slash of sriracha sauce. To me, it's a perfect way to make an outstanding low fat, low cal meal, Fat Flush Plan friendly meal ~ just the way I like it!
Oven-Poached Chicken Breasts
Making poached chicken breasts is pretty easy to do and it's a low fat way to cook this kitchen staple. I usually poach them on the stove top, but here is another method/recipe that is done in the oven. Cooking it this way comes in handy if you want to free up some space on your stove top. Roy likes his mashed potatoes and Bisto gravy, I like my broccoli and the low fat way of preparing the chicken, so we're both happy. :)
Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad
Now that the holidays are over and most of the sweet treats are gone, I'm trying to eat a more low carb diet. (I'm trying to get back to eating more Fat Flush Plan diet friendly) What with all the lack of motivation to leave the house, due to all this bitter cold winter weather, as well as all the indulging in extra rich holiday foods in December...it's now definitely time to change up my meals. Yesterday, I threw together a wonderful lunch that included a spinach salad with chicken and a side of steamed baby bok choy.
Just by chance, I tried a new way of making my salad. This method of tossing heated ingredients into spinach (which slightly 'wilts' it) has turned out to be my new favorite way to eat/enjoy a healthy spinach salad. I'm thinking this will work just a well with other types of heated protein, too. Like ~ beans, quinoa or grilled tofu. I'm so looking forward to trying it in all different ways. :)
And, as an extra bonus, the dressing is spicy and fat free ~ yes! This is the first time I've ever dressed a salad with Sriracha sauce, and it won't be the last...don't know why I've never thought of it before. The combo of the hot chili, garlic-y, sweet/spicy Sriracha sauce and Bragg's soy sauce flavor was truly amazing. It makes for a really lively dressing, that's also super low-cal.
I didn't measure anything as I was making my salad, I was just throwing stuff into the bowl as the inspiration came to me. So, I don't have a recipe per se, but, here is what I tossed together...
Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad
serves 1
Into a big salad bowl throw...
- 4-6 handfuls of washed spinach leaves
- 6 oz. of leftover shredded chicken, heated through until really hot
- 1/2 small white onion, cut into thin 1/2 rings
- 1/4 cucumber, sliced into 1/4's
- a couple spoonfuls of toasted slivered almonds
Then drizzle with...
- Sriracha sauce (to taste)
- Bragg's amino acids or soy sauce (to taste)
Then sprinkle on...
- favorite spice blend & pepper (to taste)
Then get ready to eat...
Once all has been assembled in the bowl, toss the salad. The heat of the chicken will begin to lightly wilt the spinach...yum! Taste and add more Sriracha sauce or Bragg's/soy sauce as desired. (I'm pretty heavy handed with the Sriracha, I like my food hot & spicy) Enjoy!
Hearty New England Clam Chowder ~ Easy, Creamy & Low-Fat
I recently shared an easy, low-fat recipe for red potato soup on the blog. I liked it so much, I wanted to make it again...but, with a little flavor twist. This time I changed up the basic potato soup recipe to turn it into a low fat New England clam chowder. With all this snowy, cold weather, I'm craving soup all the time. How about you?
Hearty New England Clam Chowder ~ Easy, Creamy & Low-Fat
serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 2 cups red potatoes, medium chop ~ with skins on (or off, your call)
- 2 cups white onion, small chop (about 1 large onion)
- 1/2 cup carrots, small chop (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup celery, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp real bacon bits
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 4 cups of your favorite chicken broth (canned/or from bouillon)
- 1 12oz can fat free evaporated milk, divided
- 1 6.5oz can minced clams with clam juice (add a 2nd can if desired)
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or more, to taste)
- 1 tsp Frank's RedHot Pepper Sauce (more/less, to taste)
- salt/pepper, to taste
Directions
Combine the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, broth, bacon bits, garlic and dried basil, in a large soup pot. Bring
to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine
cornstarch and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a separate cup, until smooth. Stir completely into soup mixture. Add
the remaining evaporated milk, liquid smoke and hot sauce. Bring soup back up to a boil. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, or
until thickened. Turn heat to low, add can(s) of minced clams with clam juice, stir & simmer for one minute to heat clams through. Taste, add salt/pepper/more hot sauce, as desired & serve. Enjoy!
Homemade Fat-Free Irish Cream Liqueur
One of my favorite liqueurs is Baileys Irish Cream. I love the taste...but not the fat calories. So, I decided to tinker with this copycat Baileys Irish Cream version that I posted about on the blog earlier in the year. I changed up a few things then, and did a bit more tinkering with the recipe once again. I was going for a fat-free version that was comparable in taste to the copy-cat recipe...and I'm pretty happy with the results. Over ice or in my coffee, it's all good!
Homemade Fat-Free Irish Cream Liqueur
recipe can be halved
Ingredients
- one 12 ounce can of fat-free evaporated milk
- one 14 ounce can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
- 1 2/3 cups of your favorite Irish whiskey
- 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
Throw all the ingredients into the blender & blend on high for 30 seconds. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge & serve well chilled. Some ways to enjoy this fat-free delight ~ straight-up over ice; as part of your favorite Irish Cream cocktail; with a little extra milk for a lighter Irish Cream flavor OR add it to your coffee for a special treat. Make sure to shake well before pouring...or for a more 'whipped' taste, throw it into the blender for another quick spin to get it nice & frothy. Enjoy! :)
3-2-1 Red Potato Soup ~ low fat & creamy tasting!
For our lunch today, I made a really satisfying, delicious, creamy and low fat potato and veggie soup. I'm calling it my ~ 3-2-1 Red Potato Soup. (because it has 3/2/1 amounts of veggies & seasonings :) My inspirations for creating this soup came from ~ 1/2 bag of red potatoes that needed using up; a hungry/sick kid that didn't go to school today; a husband who was cold from clearing snow; and a gal (me) who was surfing the 'net, looking for a way to tame her craving for something warm and comforting to make for her family's lunch. All those things collided in my big, blue pot...and what a yummy lunch it was. Hope you like this low fat soup as much as we did. Real time cooking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!!
3-2-1 Red Potato Soup
serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 cups red potatoes, medium chop ~ with skins on (or off, your call)
- 2 cups white onion, small chop (about 1 large onion)
- 1 cup carrots, small chop (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp real bacon bits
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 5 cups of your favorite chicken broth (canned/or from bouillon)
- 1 12oz can fat free evaporated milk, divided
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (or more, to taste)
- 1 tsp Frank's RedHot Pepper Sauce (more/less, to taste)
- salt/pepper, to taste
- shredded low fat cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)
Directions
Combine the potatoes, onion, carrots, parsley, broth, bacon bits, garlic and dried basil, in a large soup pot. Bring
to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine
cornstarch and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a separate cup, until smooth. Stir completely into soup mixture. Add
the remaining evaporated milk, liquid smoke and hot sauce. Bring soup back up to a boil. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, or
until thickened. Taste, add salt/pepper, as desired. Serve as is, or garnish with some shredded low fat cheddar cheese.
Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook
This morning, I was looking at a copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook. I came across a recipe that sounded good and that would use some of the fresh blueberries I still had sitting in my fridge. (they where on sale last week, and I bought A LOT!) So, into the kitchen I went to start my day off baking. As the muffins were going into the oven, our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) stopped by, so we invited them in. What a great way to start our day ~ warm muffins just out of the oven, a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a little chit-chat with good friends!
For being a food that claims to help reduce your cholesterol, I think these muffins are pretty good. They have just a hint of sweetness, the blueberries are a nice surprise, and the cornmeal adds to the overall texture. They have just a little oil, so they are really pretty low in fat, too. If you are a fan of corn muffins, I think you might like this one. I tinkered around with the recipe just a bit, I couldn't help myself! :) I checked out the cookbook from our library, and I like it so much, I'm going to buy a copy of my own. Real-time baking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!
Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins
makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat bran (I used Trader Joe's Toasted Oat Bran)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fat free milk
- 2 Tbsp oil (I used Smart Balance)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
- 3 egg whites
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place first 5 ingredients (oat bran - cinnamon) in a food processor and pulse for a minute or two, until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and are more 'flour-like', then put into a large bowl. Combine milk, oil and vanilla, in a small bowl, then add to dry mix. Stir together, then add the blueberries and stir again. In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter. Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (either greased or with muffin liners). Bake for 20 minutes. Best served warm.
Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins ~ healthy, low fat gems!
I came across this recipe for Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins and had to give them a go. Why? Because my neighbor, Cheryl, shared some homegrown rhubarb with me; fresh blueberries were 99 cents a pint at the market; and I found a recipe that used the two together...seemed like a sign to me! The muffins are full of whole oats and the recipe make 12 VERY generous muffins. I found them incredibly filling and I didn't get hungry for hours after eating them. I enjoyed them for breakfast, at lunch and also as a snack ~ last week as I was painting and working around the house.
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| RoseMarie checking out the muffins as they cool... |
The muffins are really low fat, so they are a bit on the dry side for my tastes ~ but perfect if you are looking for a super low fat muffin. They were good as-is, but I preferred eating them with a schmear of low-fat margarine or low fat cream cheese. I also enjoyed them torn into bits and served in a bowl, covered with fat free milk. Eaten this way, they were the perfect breakfast cereal, sorta like a 'baked soft granola'. What a simple way to change-up a muffin into a different 'meal'. So, if you're looking for some new recipes for baking with rhubarb or blueberries, check out the recipe over on the blog ~ Downton Abbey Cooks. :)
Superfood Veggie Scramble with Chickpeas ~ Meatless Monday
I had one last 'Little Bessie' egg in my fridge, and I was all set to make a pretty meal. I planned to saute superfood veggies (kale, spinach and 3 colors of bell peppers), getting them ready so I could crack my huge, double-yolk egg on top of their healthy goodness and then poach those two beautiful, mounded yolks (that came out of that one egg) and enjoy my breakfast...
What really happened was that one of the yolks burst when I cracked the egg ~ WAH!! Total bummer! Since I couldn't make what I wanted, I got cranky and just scrambled it all together. Since I was on a roll, I added some chickpeas that were in the fridge for good measure and topped it all with some salsa. It had became a glorious, tasty mess. Not pretty, but it was ~ low fat, low carb, low cal and yummy ~ all the same. Some days chickens, some days feathers...some days cracked yolks. Ya gotta roll with the punches and not let it ruffle your feathers. (tee-hee ~ every pun intended! :) Happy Meatless Monday!
Eating on The Overnight Diet ~ my one week diet update
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| Grilled Tuna with Edamame & Oriental Veggies ~ Using my George Foreman Grill made this meal extra easy to make. |
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| Egg Beater Omelet w/Veggie Chorizo |
Well, it's been one week since I said I was going to try The Overnight Diet ~ here is my post from last week where I talked about trying it. This is my verdict on The Overnight Diet ~ I think the variety of the food is fine, lots to choose from, no sense of deprivation and having a 200 calorie 'treat' once a day was nice. Here are some of the meals I've enjoyed last week, making them up using the food guidelines. The meals were easy to make and there is enough variety to keep you interested...
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| Sautéed Spinach with Walnuts |
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| Steak & Spinach Salad |
But, I've got to say, I only lost 2 pounds. Completely respectable as far as dieting goes and if I were to keep up with it over a few weeks, assuming I continue to have the same results, I'll arrive at my goal. But I must say, The Overnight Diet (at least for me) did not have the 'lose it quick' potential that was mentioned in the Woman's World article that I was hoping for.
When I did the Fat Flush Plan diet in the past, I lost 8 pounds in 10 days, so that diet does (at least for me) give me the ~ Wow! ~ factor I was looking for. All that being said, the Fat Flush Plan diet does have much stricter diet/food guidelines, but for me, that works better for my body type and I get the fast results I'm looking for. So, now I'm back to my old stand-by, the Fat Flush Plan way of eating for the next few weeks, gotta get ready for that beach vacation! Hope you enjoyed my little diet experiment, I had fun doing it and reporting back on the blog. :)
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| Chicken Tenders with Sweet Potato & Steamed Spinach |
Tipsy Lemon Pepper Chicken
The other night I made an old favorite of ours ~ Tipsy Chicken. This time I included some sliced Meyer lemons and cracked black pepper under the skin before I put the chicken in to roast. It 'perfumed' the chicken (Roy's word, not mine :) with the lovely citrus aroma and flavor of my go-to lemon. I used a crisp white wine and a classic dry chicken rub, it was a wonderful combo. I love cooking chicken this way ~ it's easy, it's tasty, it's tender, the chicken cooks up moist and since it's sitting up, all the fat drains as it bakes. I make it with beer, red wine, soda or whatever liquid strikes my fancy ~ same goes for the herbs and spices. Check out the simple recipe ~ HERE.
Grilled Pork with Sauteed Kale, Squash & Almonds ~ making the most of leftovers
I always try to get creative with leftovers. I look to see how much I have of whatever is leftover, then I see what I have that is fresh to use and then I go hunting for what might be on it's last legs and see what I can come up with. For this meal, I had some leftover grilled pork ~ so I sauteed some fresh kale, garlic, some seen-better-days squash and then added the last of the slivered almonds. Tossed in the sliced pork, gave it a splash of EVOO, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of zesty spice blend, let it all heat through...and lunch was served. Quicker, cheaper and healthier than take-out. I like that and so does my wallet. :)
Irish Colcannon Soup
I made this Irish Colcannon Soup on the fly, using the classic Irish potato and cabbage/kale side dish ~ colcannon ~ as my inspiration. I started out with the traditional Irish recipe ingredients, but, then I spun the potato, kale, leek and ham into a soup version. I simmered it all for about 45 minutes, long enough for the kale and leeks to became so soft that they melted into the broth. The resulting soup turned out rich and thick, chunky yet creamy and all without adding any butter or cream, so it's low fat to-boot. Yippee!
I always like to tinker with familiar Irish dishes around St. Patrick's Day, it's like having a little bit of Ireland in my kitchen. Enjoy! :)
Irish Colcannon Soup
serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups large diced potatoes, peeled
- 1 cup thin sliced leeks
- 1 cup diced cooked ham
- 1/2 bunch steamed kale, with stems removed, finely chopped ((steam for 5-10 minutes before adding to the recipe to help pre-soften kale ~ optional ~ OR just toss in chopped raw kale))
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- dash liquid smoke (optional)
- dash hot pepper sauce (optional)
- salt & pepper, to taste
Place first 7 ingredients (chicken broth - onion powder) in a large pot. (if you're using raw kale, it might not dissolve as much as my precooked kale did) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes/kale are super tender, about 30 minutes. Add the nutmeg, liquid smoke, hot sauce and simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes. ***((If you want it thicker, simmer a bit longer. If you want it thinner, add a little more broth. If you want the kale firmer, cook it a bit less. If you want the kale melting into the soup, cook it a bit more. It's easy to adjust the soup to get the texture just the way you want it. )) Before serving, add salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Lentil Soup with Spinach & Fire Roasted Tomatoes ~ a wonderful low-fat soup for your Meatless Monday
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| This hearty and low fat soup is really flavorful and easy to make. Now, this is my kind of 'cup of soup'! :) |
I was watching the Create TV channel on PBS the other day and happened to catch an episode of Christina Cooks. I've been a fan of hers for years and her Lentil Tomato Salad sounded really good, but I was in the mood for soup that day. So, I took inspiration from her lentil salad recipe and also from the Greek Spinach and Lentil Soup post I wrote about last year and came up with this soup. It's rich, without any extra fat/oil, as well as being nice and substantial ~ thanks to all the lentils and veggies.
I used what I had on hand, so this is an uncomplicated and easy soup to throw together. Having a well stocked freezer and pantry sure does come in handy when the weather outside is hovering around the freezing mark and the thought of going out to the market is not an option. :) Hope you like this ~ Lentil Soup with Spinach & Fire Roasted Tomatoes ~ as much as I do. Enjoy!
Lentil Soup with Spinach & Fire Roasted Tomatoes
makes 4~6 bowls
- 1 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juice
- 2 cups veggie broth* (canned or from bouillon cubes)
- 1 cup medium diced bell peppers (frozen or fresh)
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup diced onion (frozen or fresh)
- dash liquid smoke
- salt/pepper to taste
Directions
To medium pot add ~ the 3 cups water, 1 cup green lentils, cumin, onion power, garlic powder and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approx. 20-25 minutes or until lentils are cooked through and soft (but not mushy).
Add remaining ingredients to the pot, bring back to a boil and then reduce heat back down to a simmer and cook until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Taste, adjust salt/pepper and serve.
Grilled Pork Loin Chop Salad
For this salad, I cooked a lean pork loin chop and seasoned it with a Cajun spice blend. Then I just sliced it up and drizzled the salad with a light vinaigrette. (in case you were wondering, that big bowl of salad was just for me :) It was on the table in no time, I like that. Simple cooking at its best.
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