Can you post your favorite "weight watching" recipe?!
Answers: I need to add to my collection! Thanks!
SUPER SIMPLE SAUTEED SPINACH:
drizzle enough olive oil in a large skillet to coat the bottom.
mince a BUNCH of garlic.
heat oil over medium-high heat.
add garlic and cook until just soft and starting to brown (~45 seconds).
add a whole bunch of fresh spinach (8-12 oz.) and cook until wilted.
season with a little salt & pepper.
serve with a bunch of sesame seeds sprinkled over top.
This dish is amazingly easy to prepare, and serves as a great way to detoxify your body. If you use regular spinach, it is a little more difficult, as you will have to remove the stems, but if you use baby spinach, you can just throw the whole leaves in!
Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 pounds green beans
2 bacon slices
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped almonds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well; set aside.
Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet. Crumble; set aside. Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add almonds; sauté 1 minute. Remove and let cool. Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon.
Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
CALORIES 75(31% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.8g
Cooking Light, November 1996.
--Cooking Light Complete Cookbook
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STUFFED SQUASH WITH BULGUR AND FETA
This vegetarian dish can be prepared up to a day ahead; fill the squash halves with the cooked bulgur mixture, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake.
4 large summer squash (about 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
lemon wedges, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve each squash lengthwise; slice off a sliver of skin from each half so they sit flat. Scoop out flesh with a small spoon or melon-baller, leaving a 1/4-inch border; chop finely, and reserve. Place squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, skin sides down; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved chopped squash, onion, almonds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add bulgur and 2 cups water; simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes (bulgur should still be slightly crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in feta.
4. Mound bulgur mixture in reserved squash halves. Bake until squash is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: Once the flesh has been removed from the squash halves, it is chopped and added to the filling so nothing is wasted.
--EverydayFOOD
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TORTELLINI SOUP
1 tb olive oil
2 med ribs celery diced
2 med carrots diced
1 med-lg onion diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cans fat free chicken broth 14 oz each
1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated tortellini (your choice)
we like tomato or chicken pruscuito tortellini
the 3-cheese is good too
1 can 19 oz cannelini beans, rinsed
1 bag 6oz baby spinach
? tsp nutmeg
? tsp pepper
salt to taste
Heat oil in 4 qt saucepan over med low heaat. Stir in celery, carrot,onion and garlic, cover and cook 10 minutes until soft. Add broth and 2 cups water.
Bring to boil, stir in tortellini and simmer as package directs. Stir in remaining ingredients, heat through. Sprinkle the soup with finely shredded parmesan cheese and accompany with crusty Italian bread.
This is a low fat and heart smart recipe and one of our favorite soups ever!
-- Womans Day 2003
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Green Lentil Soup with Lemon
2 cups green lentils, washed
3 teaspoons olive oil
6 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
2 large carrots, diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
salt and pepper
Heat oil in pot & add lentils, stir briefly & add the onions & garlic. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the bay leaf & spices & stir for 1 minute.
Finally add the carrot. Pour in stock, raise heat & bring to a boil.
Simmer for 60 minutes until the lentils start to puree. Remove from heat & let cool. Blend till smooth & return to the pot.
Add lemon juice & salt & pepper. If too thick, thin with a little more stock.
Serve with freshly made bread.
My husband loves this, and it's very filling:
Weight Watching Vegetable Soup
1 GIANT can (maybe it's 32 oz?) tomato or V-8 juice
1/2 cabbage, shredded
cut up veggies (whatever you like: carrots, onions, celery, zuccini, etc)
salt & pepper to taste (less if using V-8)
Simmer it all together
.....
Steam some cauliflower just until slightly soft (under-cooked is best). Substitute it for potatoes in any potato salad recipe (using non-fat sour cream, or light mayonnaise)
MASHED "POTATOES"
Instead of potatoes, you can cook either cauliflower, rutabagas or parsnips until soft. Mash them like you would potatoes; add low-cal butter, salt & pepper and a little non-fat sour cream when mixing. (actually blending would get it even smoother)
Oven "French Fries"
Slice potatoes lengthwise into strips (like you'd cut for Steak fries). Put on a baking sheet, covered with tinfoil, and spray with butter Pam. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 min.
...Kale soup...
INGREDIENTS
1 pound Italian sausage
1 can garbanzo beans(drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (48 ounce) can sodium-free chicken broth
1 (6 ounce) package precooked chicken strips, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped potatoes
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, chopped into pieces
DIRECTIONS
In soup pot, crumble and brown sausage with olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes longer. Add salt, peppers, broth, chicken pieces,, garbanzo beans, potatoes and parsley. Bring to boil and immediately turn down to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes add kale. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Refrigerate leftovers.
Apple n' Cinnamon Porridge Cookies
1 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 gala apple, peeled, cored half grated half cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sultanas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with a silpat mat or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
In a mixer bowl, with an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and on high speed, cream together brown sugar and margarine until fluffy. Add grated apple half, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, stir to blend, add the apple pieces and sultanas.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto lined baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a wet wooden spoon. Bake until lightly brown, at least 15 minutes. Cool on cookie rack.
They are wonderful ! :)