Delicious & Light © 2011

Great Meals with a Healthy Twist for the Entire Family

Southwest Chicken Casserole

I am always looking for light twists on typical dishes.  I will get inspiration from friends, cook books, magazines and TV shows and it is fun to take an otherwise fattening dish and make it light enough that I don’t feel bad about feeding it to my family.  The trick of course is to figure out a way to make it taste the same or better than the original dish.

Then there are those nights where I have nothing in mind and I jut start cooking with what I have.  Sometimes the dishes come out great and other times I am reluctant to feed it to my dog.  That is the fun and beauty of cooking….sometimes you never know what you are going to get!

Tonight’s dish was one of those dinners where I really didn’t have a plan, just some ingredients.  Looking back now I could have made this dish a little “lighter” but it was close enough and it was delicious.  I even had some Pillsbury Pizza dough which I formed and baked into little cups.  I then serve Nick and my portions in the cup.  Funny thing is they were gone so fast I didn’t take a picture!  Oh well next time.  Enjoy.

Southwest Chicken Casserole

Preheat oven 375o

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories =   257                           Fat = 7 grams

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 ounces low fat cream cheese – softened

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 ½ cups salsa

1 cup diced tomatoes from a can – drained

2 pounds boneless cooked chicken breast – cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup low fat grated Mexican cheese mix

1 15-ounce can black beans – drained and rinsed

Directions:

1.    Beat cream cheese and taco seasoning on high speed until whipped.

2.    Fold in salsa, tomatoes, chicken, cheese and black beans.

3.    Coat a 12 by 8 inch casserole baking pan with cooking spray.  Spoon chicken mixture into casserole pan.

4.    Bake, covered, for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

5.    Serve hot.


January 21, 2011 Posted by | Bake, Casserole, Main Courses, Poultry, Uncategorized, Vegetables | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Lowfat Beef Chili

It is winter time and what goes better on a cold, snowy night than a nice hot bowl of chili?  I put this recipe together with the idea of really enjoying a hearty meal that is light on the mid-section.  I did serve this with brown rice and although the rice adds calories, brown rice is much healthier then white rice so you can enjoy.  Stay warm and enjoy!

Low Fat Beef Chili

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours slow cooker or 2 hours stovetop cooking

Estimated values per serving:

Calories =   442                           Fat =  12 grams

Ingredients:

1 onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons Jack Daniels

2 ½ pounds London broil

2 (12 ounce) jars chili sauce

1 can (28 ounces ) crushed tomatoes

12 ounces water

2 – 3 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon hickory smoke salt

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 (15.5 ounces) can of red kidney beans

Directions:

1.    Heat a large pot on medium and coat with cooking spray.  Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and browned.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add Jack Daniels and cook until liquid is absorbed.

2.    Cut beef in ½-inch cubes.  Increase heat on pot to medium high and add beef.  Sauté until browned, about 7 minutes.

3.    Add chili sauce, tomatoes, water, Tabasco sauce, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, hickory smoke salt, liquid smoke, oregano and parsley flakes and stir.

4.    Once the mixture comes to a boil, you can lower the heat and keep on the stove to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or transfer to a crock pot and set on high for 4 hours and low for an additional 2 hours.

5.    Stir in kidney beans ½ hour before the chili will be served.  Serve hot.

January 18, 2011 Posted by | Beef, Main Courses, Rice, Slow Cook, Spices | , , , , | Leave a Comment

Savory Lobster Cheesecake

Now you may say to yourself “lobster cheesecake?!?” but trust me this is a winner.  My mother and father decided they wanted to get steamed lobster for dinner but they didn’t want just steamed lobster.  Since they are on low carb diets I could not make a sauce and put it over pasta or rice so I thought quiche.  As I was working out the recipe it morphed into a savory cheesecake.  You can use fresh lobster meat or you can use canned.  Also to make it a little less expensive, you can use crab meat or crab legs.  I know it sounds weird but it was really delicious & light.  Enjoy……

Lobster Cheesecake

Savory Lobster Cheesecake

Preheat oven 350o

Serves 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Lobster Cleaning: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 166                       Fat = 2 grams

Ingredients:

32 oz Lobster meat (crab meat, shrimp or crab legs can be substituted)

8oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)

2 cups egg substitute

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 t Onion Powder

1 t Paprika

1 T Bacon Bits

2 T Cream Sherry

Pepper & Salt to taste

1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Directions:

  1. Clean steamed lobsters and remove all lobster meat and coarsely chop. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
  2. Beat cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, onion powder, paprika, and cream sherry on high speed until creamed.
  3. Lower mixer to low speed and slowly add egg substitute into mixture until well combined.
  4. Fold bacon bits and lobster meat into mixture until well incorporated.  Season with salt & pepper.
  5. Coat a 9 inch spring form pan (cheesecake pan) with cooking spray.
  6. Spoon bread crumbs into pan and move pan around so that sides and bottom of pan is coated with bread crumbs.  Discard any loose bread crumbs.
  7. Spoon lobster mixture into prepared pan and bake 1 hour or until mixture no longer jiggles in pan.
  8. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool 10 – 20 minutes.  Remove from pan, cut and serve.

January 17, 2011 Posted by | Bake, Eggs, Fish, Main Courses, Shrimp, Spices | , , , , | Leave a Comment

Chicken Sauté in Sweet Wine Sauce

Chicken Sauté in Sweet Wine Sauce

Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 150                      Fat = 3 grams                        Points: 3

Chicken Sauté in Sweet Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic – sliced

½ cup white wine

2 tablespoons cream sherry

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

  1. Combine thyme, salt and pepper and rub on both sides of each chicken breast. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and coat with cooking spray.
  2. Add chicken breast and cook for 5 – 7 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove chicken from skillet, cover and set aside.
  3. Add olive oil to skillet then onion and sauté for 5 minutes until browned and tender.  Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.  Add wine and sherry, scraping any pieces from skillet.  Cook liquid down until almost completely absorbed.
  4. Add chicken broth and simmer for 5 – 7 minutes until reduced to half.  Add chicken breasts back to skillet with sauce and coat with sauce on both sides, simmering for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove chicken breasts and place onto serving platter.  Pour sauce on top and serve.

January 9, 2011 Posted by | Main Courses, Saute` | , , | 1 Comment

Roast Pork with Apple-Pear Sauce

Roast Pork with Apple-Pear Sauce

Serves 6

Preheat oven 325o

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 – 40 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories =  230                      Fat = 8 grams                          Points: 5

Roast Pork with Apple-Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless pork loin roast

Salt and pepper

Nutmeg

1 cup apple – chopped

1 cup pear – chopped

½ cup onion – finely chopped

1 clove garlic – minced

1 ¼ cup apple cider

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch allspice (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Directions:

  1. Season pork with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.  Heat a large skillet on high heat and coat with cooking spray.
  2. Add pork to skillet and brown on all sides for a few minutes.
  3. Remove pork and place in an oven safe baking pan.  Roast pork for 30 – 40 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160o.  Remove from oven and cover for 15 minutes before cutting.
  4. While pork is roasting, coat a small pot with cooking spray and add apple, pear, onion and garlic.  Sauté until soft and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  5. Whisk together the apple cider, cornstarch, nutmeg and allspice.  Add to the pot with the fruit mixture and stir until the sauce become bubbly and thickened.  Keep warm until pork roast is ready to cut.
  6. Slice pork into serving sizes and pour sauce on top.

 

December 17, 2010 Posted by | Main Courses, Pork, Roasted, Sauces | , , , , | Leave a Comment

Braised Beef and Vegetables

Braised Beef and Vegetables

Preheat oven 300o

Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours and 10 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 360                         Fat = 9 grams                         Points: 6

Braised Beef and Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 pounds London broil

Salt and Pepper

1 cup red wine

3 cups beef stock

3 cloves garlic – chopped

2 large potatoes – peeled and quartered

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups carrots – peeled and cut up

1 cup peas

1 onion – cut up

Directions:

  1. Heat a large skillet on high and coat with cooking spray.  Season beef with salt and pepper and to skillet.  Cook  for about 5 minutes on each side until browned
  2. Transfer beef to a large Dutch oven.  Add wine, beef stock, garlic, potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.  Cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
  3. Remove beef and bay leaves from Dutch oven.  Set beef aside and discard bay leave.  Puree potatoes in a food processor with a little bit of broth mixture.  Return potato thickened broth to the Dutch oven.
  4. Add carrots, peas, onion and beef to Dutch oven and continue to cook for 1 hour in the oven.
  5. Remove from oven and serve hot.

December 12, 2010 Posted by | Beef, Braised, Main Courses, Potatoes, Vegetables | , , , | Leave a Comment

Braised Pork Tenderloin with Guinness BBQ Sauce

This is an Asian style BBQ that reads a little strange when you see it but it’s worth trying.  My family thought it was really good and has a flavor that is very similar to the BBQ ribs you would get at a Chinese restaurant.

Braised Pork Tenderloin with Guinness BBQ Sauce

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 270                      Fat = 4 grams                        Points: 5

Ingredients:

1 pound bones pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic – minced

1 12-ounce bottle of Guinness stout

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup diced canned tomatoes

¼ cup hoisin sauce (in the Asian section of grocery stores)

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

  1. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and coat with cooking spray.  Season pork with salt and pepper and add to skillet.  Brown for about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove pork and cover.
  2. Add garlic to skillet and sauté for 1 minute.  Add Guinness, brown sugar, tomatoes and hoisin sauce.  Cook until mixture reaches a boil then lower the heat and add back the pork.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Remove pork from skillet and cut into thick slices; cover and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water then add to skillet with sauce.  Cook until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.
  5. Add pork back to skillet to coat with sauce.  Spoon pork and sauce onto a platter and serve.

November 17, 2010 Posted by | Braised, Main Courses, Pork | , , | Leave a Comment

Braised Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

Preheat oven 325o

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 310                      Fat = 6 grams                        Points: 6

Braised Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 pound boneless pork tenderloin

1 onion – coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

¾ cup ketchup

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

Directions:

  1. Combine flour, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a platter.  Coat the pork loin with the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.  Reserve the flour mixture and set aside.
  2. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat, coat with cooking spray and add pork loin.  Brown for 5 minutes on each side.  Remove pork and transfer to a roasting pan.
  3. Add onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until soft and browned.
  4. While onions are cooking, combine garlic, ketchup, vinegar, reserved flour and tomatoes in a bowl.  Add mixture to onions and bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
  5. Pour sauce over pork, cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 2 hours.

November 12, 2010 Posted by | Braised, Main Courses, Pork | , , | Leave a Comment

Roast Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes with Braised Red Cabbage

Roast Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes with Braised Red Cabbage

Serves 6

Preheat oven 425o

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 335                      Fat = 8 grams                        Points: 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin

2 large potatoes – peeled and cut into large pieces

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

4 slices turkey bacon – chopped

½ cup red onion – thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic – minced

1 small head of red cabbage

1 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup apple cider

3 tablespoons Brown sugar

1 apple – julienned

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper and onion powder.  Rub half of the seasoning mix onto the pork.
  2. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and add potatoes.  Sprinkle the remaining half of the seasoning on the potatoes.  Set the pork on top.  Place in the oven and roast for about 30 – 40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160o.  cover and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.
  3. While the pork is roasting, prepare the cabbage.  Heat a large skillet on medium heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add turkey bacon and sauté until crispy and browned.  Add  onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  4. Add the cabbage and vinegar, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the cabbage is soft and tender.
  5. In a small bowl, stir together the apple cider and brown sugar.  Uncover the skillet and add the apple cider mixture.  Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
  6. Remove the cabbage form the heat and fold in the apple.
  7. Serve the roasted pork and potatoes with the cabbage on the side.

November 3, 2010 Posted by | Main Courses, Pork, Roasted, Vegetables | , , , , | Leave a Comment

Alaskan Crab Soup

As the weather gets cooler, the meals get cozier.  I made this for the family the other night and they loved it.  Even though it’s low in calories, it’s very filling.  It can be served for 4 people to make it a whole meal with a side vegetable or 8 side servings.

Enjoy!

Alaskan Crab Soup

Serves 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 165                      Fat = 1 gram                          Points: 3

Ingredients:

½ cup onion – minced

2 ribs celery – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

½ cup cream sherry

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon dill

1 tablespoon double concentrate tomato paste

Bay leaf

1 ½ pounds Alaskan lump crab meat (i.e. snow crab, Dungeness, king crab)

4 cups fat free half and half

4 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat a large pot on medium heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes until slightly browned and softened.
  2. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add sherry and cook until liquid is absorbed.
  3. Add chicken broth, dill, tomato paste, bay leaf and crab.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together half and half and flour.  Pour into soup, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.  Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve hot.

November 1, 2010 Posted by | Creamed, Fish, Main Courses, Side Dishes | , | Leave a Comment

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