Archive for January, 2012

Puckering Pickle Dip

Reduced-Fat Pickle Dip

This dip is absolutely amazing! Serve it up with baked chips and this low-fat, creamy, crunchy, pickle dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Give it a try, you will not regret it!

Serves 5-10.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 packet dry vegetable soup mix (Lipton or Knorr)
• 1 cup dill pickles, chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

Excellent Egg Rolls.

These egg rolls are so much fun to make! You can purchase the pre-made egg roll wraps in the produce section of your grocer and fill them with any ingredients you desire. Below are a few concoctions that I tried out. They are delish!

To make the egg rolls, simply place the desired ingredients in the bottom right corner of the wrap. Then, fold the bottom right corner over the ingredients. Fold in the top right and bottom left and then roll upwards. When it is completely wrapped, use a small amount of water to seal the top. If you want to indulge, you can brush the egg roles lightly with olive oil to give them a little extra crunch and flavor. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes (flipping the egg rolls over after ten minutes.)

Barbecue Chicken & Avocado Egg Roll

Ingredients:

• egg roll wrap
• reduced-fat shredded cheddar
• avocado
• barbecue sauce
• rotisserie chicken meat, shredded

Asian Shrimp & Cabbage Egg Roll

Ingredients:

• egg roll wrap
• sliced cabbage
• green onion
• cooked shrimp
• store-bought sweet chili sauce or other Asian sauce

Spicy Pepperoni Pizza Egg Roll

Ingredients:

• egg roll wrap
• turkey pepperoni
• tomato sauce
• jalepenos
• reduced-fat shredded mozzarella

Peanut Perfection.

Spicy Sesame-Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 package whole-wheat linguine
• 1/2 cup Smart Balance peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cups frozen shrimp, thawed & de-veined
• 1 cup cole-slaw cabbage mix (green & purple sliced cabbage)
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, halved
• 1/2 cup green onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (Asian hot sauce)
• 1 tbsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp dried, crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic

Salata Mexicana.

Taco(less) Salad With Ground Turkey, Avocado & Tomato

This is my version of a taco salad…minus the taco! This is a great salad because it’s filling and full of bold, Mexican-influenced flavors that really satisfy. It’s low carbohydrates, too! This salad is so good, you won’t even miss the taco!

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of romaine lettuce
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat three-cheese  blend
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/8 cup sliced jalepenos (fresh or jarred)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (preferably Frank’s Red Hot)
• 1 pack reduced-sodium dry taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Comforting Carbonara.

Baked Whole-Wheat Linguine Carbonara

Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta dish that is made with eggs, parmesan cheese, pancetta and peas. It traditionally has A LOT of parmesan cheese, so to cut down the use of it, I used lower-fat creamy ingredients in combination with a smaller amount of parmesan to get the cheesy flavor. To cut down on other fat and cholesterol, I used an egg substitute instead of whole eggs. I kept the pancetta in the dish because, while indulgent, it is what really brings the most flavor to the dish. This pasta is the ultimate wintertime comfort food!

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 package whole-wheat linguine
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella (for topping)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (1/4 for sauce, 1/4 for topping)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• splash of white wine
• garlic salt/black pepper

In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil on medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook the pancetta for about 10 minutes or until browned and crispy. Reduce the heat and add just a splash of white wine to de-glaze the pan. Then add the skim milk, sour cream and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Keep the heat on low, this mixture can simmer but should not boil.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta al dente as directed on the package. After the pasta has cooked, drain all of the excess water and add it back into the same pot. Immediately, while the pasta is still hot, add in the egg substitute and stir very quickly. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs, but you need to stir quickly so they don’t scramble.

After the pasta is mixed with the eggs, add the pasta into the sauce. Add a dash of garlic salt and black pepper. When the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, put the mixture into a greased baking dish. Top the pasta with the remaining parmesan cheese and the shredded mozzarella and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Hot Potato.

Cheesy Baked Buffalo Potatoes

These potatoes are seriously amazing. If you like spicy and if you like potatoes, these are for you. These potatoes taste sinfully creamy and cheesy, but there is actually no butter or cream in them- AND believe it or not, they are actually low-fat! Mmmmm!

Serves 3-5.

Ingredients:

• 10 small Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mozzarella
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot (or less if you don’t want it as spicy)
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
• garlic salt

Boil the potatoes in a large pot for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Drain the excess water and cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. Add the chopped potatoes into the food processor and blend until they have become a smoother consistency, but don’t blend too much, it’s best if there are still some small pieces of potato. After the potatoes have been blended, add them back into the pot and stir in the sour cream, mozzarella, Frank’s Red Hot, chives and a dash of garlic salt. Put the mixture into a greased baking dish and top with a small handful of the mozzarella. Put in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Grammy’s Corn Flake Chicken.

Corn Flake Chicken With Orange Marmalade Glaze

Let me tell you, this chicken brought back a lot of memories! Sometimes food can trigger the most vivid memories of people and places.When we would visit our grandparents on Cape Cod, my Dad’s mom, who we called Grammy, would make this chicken recipe for us. I have very fond memories of what we called “Corn Flake Chicken” from summer days on the Cape. Below is her original recipe (in her handwriting) that my mom saved. She used to make it using chicken thighs, but I decided to make it a bit healthier by using chicken breasts. Other than that, I followed her exact recipe!

Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 cup soy sauce

Marinate the chicken overnight in the soy sauce and crushed garlic. Sprinkle corn flakes in a greased baking dish and then place the marinated chicken in the dish. Combine the marmalade and Dijon together, and then spread the mixture over top of the chicken breasts. Then sprinkle more corn flakes over top and bake for about an hour in a 350 degree oven.

Crazy Good Cabbage.

Cabbage & Pancetta Slaw With Parmesan Polenta

This meal is so simple and easy. Not only that, it’s healthy for you but tastes like major comfort food! The cabbage is surprisingly yummy and pairs very well with the creaminess of the polenta. Give it a try!

Serves 3-5.

Ingredients:

• 1 head green cabbage, chopped
• 4 0z diced pancetta
• 1 3/4 cups corn meal
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp light butter
• salt/garlic salt/black pepper

Parmesan Polenta

Boil 6 cups of water in a large pot. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat and slowly add in the cornmeal while stirring. Stir vigorously to remove any lumps while the polenta thickens. Cook for about 15 minutes and when the polenta has thickened, add 2 tbsp of light butter, a dash of garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

Cabbage & Pancetta Slaw

In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat and add the pancetta. Cook the pancetta for about 7-10 minutes until it has browned and then add the diced cabbage.  Continue to cook the mixture for about 20-30 minutes until the cabbage has reduced down and browned. Add salt and black pepper. Serve hot with a spoonful of polenta!