Another day of 100 calorie recipes!

Kari started our St. Patrick's Day with Smoked Salmon Scramble--another 100 calorie recipe. She lightly broiled tomato halves and scrambled eggs with a bit of crumbled smoked salmon, chopped green onions, the few leftover roasted potatoes from last night, and a tiny pinch of cilantro. Delicious!

For supper Kari fixed a mild bbq grilled chicken from the recipe book. Her sauce was:

1 shallot or green onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 c. tomato sauce or 1 T. tomato paste blended with 2/3 c. water

2 T. red wine vinegar (I don't know if she added this or not)

1 T. prepared mustard

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

I fixed Esther's oven roasted veggies---always yummy! You can use any variety of veggies you like and eat just about as much as you want. For today I used sweet potatoes (peeled and cut like french fries), asparagus, grape tomatoes, purple onion, red bell pepper, garlic cloves, zucchini, and shredded carrots. [I like to add mushrooms, but Warren doesn't like them.] Toss with some salt, pepper, dill weed, and olive oil to coat. Roast in oven at 375 degrees till desired doneness--stir occasionally to prevent sticking/burning.

Tomorrow night we are having Salsa Tilapia (you can also use sole) which is rolled up with a filling of chopped onion, tomato, feta cheese, and jalapeno, and grated orange rind. Cover with foil and cook about 15-20 min. at 350 degrees. Uncover and sprinkle with paprika and pepper and cook for another 5-7 minutes. I'm going to make fresh guacamole to go with it.

100 calorie recipes! Yummy!!

I told Kari before I came down that I needed to eat a lot of fruits, veggies, and protein this week to help me get back on track. I've been gradually getting more out of control since Christmas. We did a lot of walking today---in Walmart, in the mall, at DSW, and at Kohl's. :)

I brought Kari a little cookbook called Just 100 Calories: Delicious and Simple 100 Calorie Recipes by Parragon Books (c) 2007.

We had taco salad last night for supper. This morning Kari made Wake-up Kabobs which were apples, canteloupe, strawberries, and bananas drizzled with cinnamon and honey and broiled for about 5 minutes. Then she put the fruit in a bowl and topped with a little granola and bit of yogurt. We loved the bananas like that! The apples and canteloupe were pretty good, too. We didn't care for the strawberries as much.

This evening Kari made filo wrapped asparagus spears and I helped her make fish & mango kabobs. Kari made kabobs with shrimp, mango, and tuna steak and marinated it with a pomegranite & mango chipotle sauce (got it at Walmart)---it was delicious! She roasted some cubed potatoes seasoned with dill and garlic. We had very filling, yet very low-calorie YUMMY meals today.

Extreme weather...calls for more soup!

Ok..so our extreme weather isn't in the same category as Alaska where it is -50 something in Fairbanks (and it can get over 90+ there in the summer), but with the weekly 30-40+ temperature differences we've been having a person has to have access to summer and winter wardrobes. I find it rather annoying. Yesterday it was 72. Right now it is 36....and I just want to stay cozy in bed and read and surf the internet and eat soup.

I'm going to fix something I've never had before...ratatouille. What is it? It is an eggplant-based vegetable soup which roughly translates from the French as a stirable chunky stew.

Slow-cooker Ratatouille

makes 6 servings

120 calories per serving

1 T. olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

6 lg. garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium-sized eggplant, cubed

2 c. mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 tomatoes, cubed

1 c. low-sodium tomato puree

1/4 c. dry red wine, or wine vinegar

1 T. lemon juice

2 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 - 1 t. salt

1/4 - 1/2 t. black pepper

4. T. minced fresh basil (or 1 rounded T. dried basil)

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Turn slow cooker on high for 2 minutes.

Pour oil into slow cooker and add remaining ingredients except parsley and fresh basil. [Note: If using dried basil, add it now.]

Cover. Cook on high for 2 hours, and then on low 4-5 hours.

Stir in fresh basil (unless you used the dry). Sprinkle with parsley.

Delicious served over wheat pasta or brown rice. Can also use it as a pizza topping.

[Notes: I think I'll roast the peppers first--I like a smoky flavor. If I don't have the wine vinegar, I'll just substitute chicken or vegetable stock. I have some leftover grilled chicken breasts--I'll bet this would be delicious served together!]

Sounds delicious, yes?

Fix it and forget it----lightly....

Mother gave me a new cookbook for Christmas titled "Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker" by Phyllis Pellman Good. You've seen them in Target and Wal-mart. While this is advertised as a slow cooker cookbook, you can certainly make any of these without a slow cooker. I usually prepare my stuff the night before by putting most of it in the crock and then in the fridge so that I can quickly get it going the next morning before I leave.

I manage a healthier consumption of food so much better if I have previously prepared food, so I requested this cookbook hoping that it will help me through the rest of the school year. While I certainly don't come home as exhausted (mainly from DRIVING so far!!) as I have the past 2 years, I often come home hungrier because I've eaten very little throughout the day. In fact, it got to the point about 2 months ago that I had to lock the library doors and turn out the lights just so I could eat lunch!

I've marked several recipes to try during the next few weeks and bought ingredients today. I'm looking for recipes that are under 200-210 calories per serving.

Hamburger Soup

makes 6 servings

160 calories per serving

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. seasoned salt (I didn't have any--so just used sea salt)

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

3 c. hot water

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

1 c. carrots, sliced

1 c. celery, sliced

[I also added 1/2 of a zucchini, sliced and quartered)

1 c. macaroni, cooked (I don't have any, so am going to use some pesto-filled mezzaluna)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I decided to leave this out and throw in a slice of American cheese)

Combine all ingredients except macaroni and cheese in slow cooker.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Turn to high. Add macaroni and cheese.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Postscript: This soup turned out delicious! Great flavor and very filling without feeling heavy. I think this is a soup that would appeal to kids because of the flavor---and a good way to sneak in more veggies.

Put the soup on...

Soups are so much easier for me to eat....even though I get really hungry for some meat to chew on! They tend to be lower calorie, very tasty and filling--which is what I need.

Found this recipe in a recent issue of People Magazine. :

Bus Stop White Chili
(a recipe from Martina McBride)

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 14 ½ oz. cans chicken broth
1 ½ t. white pepper (or use black pepper)
1 t. garlic powder
3 T. olive oil
2 15 oz. cans great northern beans or navy beans
2 4 ½ oz. cans chopped green chilies
1 10 ½ oz. can cream of chicken soup
3 T. (or less) jalapeno pepper juice (this could be optional)
2 T. minced fresh cilantro
1 t. salt

[Notes: Buy the low-sodium, healthy request versions of the broth and soup. This recipe could also be cut in half.]

Put chicken in glass baking dish, pour in 1 can chicken broth, cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for an hour. Remove chicken and reserve broth. Cut chicken into small pieces and season with pepper and garlic.

Saute chicken in oil in pot for 2-3 min. Add reserved broth and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 min.

To serve, cut 6-8 corn tortillas into ¼ in. strips. Place in serving bowls. Ladle chili on top. Garnish with sour cream and grated mozzarella cheese if desired.

[Another note: the tortillas can be cut in strips and put in the soup pot while it simmers. This serves as a good thickener.]