Eating one week at a time.

Week Six

2009-05-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 2, 2009

Deep-Dish Chili Pie (266 calories, 8 servings)
(adapted from Weight Watcher’s 5 ingredients 15 minute cook book)

~ 1 lb ground beef or turkey
~ 15 oz can seasoned diced tomato sauce for chili
~ 1 medium onion
~ 1 13.8 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough
~ 1 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
~ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Chop onion. Sauté onions in skillet. Add ground meat, brown. Stir in chili sauce cook for 1-2 minutes to heat through.

Unroll pizza crust dough place it in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover the bottom and halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheddar cheese over the crust, top with ground beef mixture.

Bake uncovered for 12 minutes. Top with remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes until crust is browned and cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Mexican Black Beans (76 calories, 6 servings)
(adapted from Weight Watcher’s 5 ingredients 15 minute cook book)

~ 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
~ 1 14.5 Mexican style stewed tomatoes
~ 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
~ 1 tsp sugar
~ 3-4 green onions, sliced

Combine first 4 ingredients in a sauce pan, stirring well. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with sliced green onions on top.

Total Calories 342

Wednesday June 3, 2009

Shrimp in Lemon-Garlic Butter (219 calories, 4 servings)
(adapted from Weight Watcher’s 5 ingredients 15 minute cook book)

~ 1 TBSP margarine
~ 1 ½ lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
~ 4 large cloves of garlic
~ zest of one lemon
~ 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
~ 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
~ pepper to taste

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat, and add shrimp. Sauté 1 minute; add garlic, sauté 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Add lemon zest, and remaining ingredients, and cook 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Rice (154 calories, 4 servings)

~ 1 cup non instant rice
~ 2 cups chicken broth

Mix rice and chicken broth in a pan. Bring to a boil, place lid on, turn heat back to as low as you can go. Cook for 18-20 minutes without taking lid off. Turn heat off, take lid off for 5 seconds, put lid back on let set for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Squash (49 calories)

~5 small-medium zucchinis
~ 1 medium onion
~ 2 TBSP Tub margarine
~ Salt and Pepper to taste
Slice zucchinis in half and then slice them in half moon shapes. Dice the onion. Place both in a large skillet, and sauté until they are almost cooked to your liking, then add margarine and salt and pepper.

Total 422 calories

Thursday June 4, 2009

Peppery Mushroom Burger (181 calories, 4 servings)
(adapted from Weight Watcher’s 5 ingredients 15 minute cook book)

~ 1 8oz package presliced mushrooms, divided
~ 1 lb lean ground round (or ground turkey)
~ ¼ small onion, minced
~ 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
~ cooking spray
~ ¼ cup beef broth
~ ¼ cup water
~ pepper to taste

Coarsely chop 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms. Combine beef, chopped mushrooms, onions, and Worchestershire sauce in a bowl, shape mixture into 4 equal pattie. Sprinkle with pepper for your taste.

Heat 12 inch skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Add patties, cook 5-6 minutes on each side until done. Transfer to plate and keep warm

Add beef broth, water, and remaining mushrooms to pan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping browned bits that cling to bottom, about 3 minutes.

Pour mushroom mixture over burger patties.

Mashed Potatoes (224 calories, 4 servings)

~ 4 medium sized potatoes (skin on or off however you like)
~ ½ cup 1% milk (add a little at a time)
~ 1 cup chicken broth (add a little at a time)
~ 3 TBSP tub margarine

Slice potatoes in thin slices so they will cook faster. Place in a large sauce pan, with two big pinches of salt. Boil until very tender. Drain water. Using either a masher or a hand mixer begin smashing your potatoes. Then slowly add in liquid, so that the potatoes don’t get too runny (you may not use all of the liquid). Add in margarine, and salt and pepper to taste.

Green Beans (70 calories, 4 servings)

~ 1 bag frozen green beans
~ ½ an onion
~ 2 TBSP olive oil

I just sauté the onions and green beans in the olive oil. Then I salt and pepper to taste. Easy side dish!

Total Calories 475 calories

Friday June 5, 2009

Moo Goo Gai Pan: Chicken & Mushroom stir fry (206 calories per serving, this makes about 6 servings)

~1 lb chicken
~ 2 TBSP olive oil~1 can baby corn (I cut mine into 1/2 inch pieces)
~1 can sliced water chestnuts (make sure they are already sliced in the can)
~1 can bamboo shoots
~1 lb mushrooms (I buy the pre-sliced saves elbow grease)
~6 stalks of celery cut into 1 inch pieces
~Ginger either fresh or dried
~Garlic either fresh or powder

Sauce:
~1 cup chicken broth
~3 tsp corn starch
~1 tbsp soy sauce
~1 tbsp hoisin sauce (I used kikoman's stir fry sauce)
~1 tsp sugar

Pound chicken flat (about ¼ of an inch), then slice into ¼ inch thick (on the longer pieces I cut those in two pieces). heat pan (I use a wok but a skillet would be fine), and 1 tbsp oil then add veggies, stir fry 3-4 minutes. Take out of pan add 1 tbsp oil add chicken cook until done, grate Ginger and garlic (or use powders). While the chicken is cooking, mix everything together for the sauce (chicken broth, corn starch, soy & hoisin sauce, and sugar). Mix veggies into chicken then make a well for the sauce, pour sauce in let boil, then mix together let cook a minute or two more. Serve with white rice.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)

~ 1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~ 2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve

Total calories 360

Saturday June 6, 2009

Grilled Fiesta Chicken Salad (337 calories, 4 servings)

~ 1 head Bibb Lettuce
~ 1 head red leaf lettuce
~ 1 cup shredded carrots
~ 1 medium tomato, diced
~ 2 green onions, chopped
~ 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 tsp. Chili powder
~ 1 sweet red pepper
~ 1 TBSP Olive Oil
~ 1 cup thawed frozen corn
~ ½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
~ 8 TBSP. Fat-free ranch dressing
~ 2 whole wheat pita breads

Tear up heads of lettuce and toss together in a large bowl. Top with shredded carrots, diced tomatoes, and chipped green onions.

Season chicken with chili powder grill chicken 3-4 minutes on each side.

Dice red pepper, toss with olive oil and sauté for 2 minutes, add corn cook 1 more minute.

When chicken has cooled, dice chicken. Top salad with chicken, and then spoon corn and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle each salad with 2 TBSP of dressing.

Bake pita’s slice into 4 slices each, serve each salad with two pita slices.

Total Calories 337

Monday June 8, 2009

(we won’t be eating at home, Soccer game!!!)
Here is a repeat meal:

Pop Pork Chops (201 Calories per chop)

~ 4 boneless pork chops (about 1 lb total, 4 oz a piece)
~ 1 20 oz bottle of pop (ok for those of us around here soda, it really needs to be straight cola not like cherry cola)
~ Garlic powder
~ onion powder
~ salt and pepper

Season the pork chops with the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt & pepper. Spray the inside of a baking dish with cooking spray. Place the pork chops in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the soda over the pork chops. Cook 400 degrees 1-2 hours. These pork chops will be fall apart tender, and you won’t even be able to tell they were made with soda! (CHANGE: the last time I posted this I did it in the crockpot, we didn’t like it so we changed to back in the oven)

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes (227 calories)

~ 4 medium potatoes
~ 1 small onion, finely chopped
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~ 2 TBSP fresh chopped rosemary (I would so go for the fresh, it makes your house smell like a gourmet kitchen!)
~ Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven 450 degrees

After washing, cut potatoes into one inch chunks. Mix onion, olive oil, and rosemary in a bowl. Toss the potato chunks in to coat. Pour out on a cookie sheet/baking sheet. Then salt and pepper to taste. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally.

Spinach (1/2 cup 45 calories)

~ 1 bag of frozen chopped spinach
~ salt and pepper

Place bag of frozen spinach in a microwave safe covered dish, place it in microwave and cook for 4 minutes. Remove stir and replace. Continue cooking for 4 more minutes. When finished take out salt and pepper to your taste.

Total calories 473

Week Five

2009-05-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

First let me start by saying, I’m sorry this is late this week, and it is abbreviated. I was supposed to be taking our youngest son to Houston this week to see a pediatric oncologist. So I hadn’t planned on making meals at all this week. At the last minute plans changed, and now we aren’t leaving for a few weeks. As a result, here is this weeks abbreviated menu. I hope you enjoy!

Thursday May 28, 2009

Spinach Mushroom Frittata (6 servings 117 calories, 4 servings 176 calories)
(From Fix-It and Enjoy-It: Healthy Cookbook by: Phyllis Pellman Good)

~3 cloves of garlic, minced
~1 cup onion, chopped
~1 tsp. Olive oil
~½ lb sliced mushrooms
~½ TBSP thyme
~10 oz fresh spinach
~egg substitute equal to 10 eggs (or you could do 20 egg whites)
~1 TBSP Fresh Dill
~Black pepper to your taste
~¼ cup feta cheese

Pre-heat oven 350
In a large skillet sautee onions and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme cook an extra 5 minutes.

Remove from the skillet, chop spinach then add to the skillet to wilt. Add the spinach to the mushroom/onion mixture, and set aside.

In another bowl beat the egg substitute, Dill, and Black pepper together. Stir spinach/mushroom mixture and feta cheese into egg substitute.

Clean skillet, spray liberally with cooking spray, place back on burner over medium high heat, when hot add egg mixture to the skillet. Place in oven, uncovered. Check after 10 minutes, and then every 5 minutes after. It is done when the center is slightly firm

Flip out of the skillet onto a plate, and serve. Either cut into 4 big pieces or 6 smaller pieces.

Turkey Sausage (64 calories)
(From Fix-It and Enjoy-It: Healthy Cookbook by: Phyllis Pellman Good)
~¾ lb ground lean turkey
~¼ tsp. Pepper
~¼ tsp. Dried basil
~¼ tsp. Dried sage
~1 egg white
~1/8 tsp. Allspice
~1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
~1/8 tsp. Garlic powder
~1/8 tsp. Chili powder
~2 TBSP water

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

Shape into 6 patties, then place on a baking sheet

Broil 2”-3” away from the broiler for 5-7 minutes

Flip patties over broil for another 5-7 minutes

Hash browns (138 calories, 4 servings)

~ 5 cups Ore-Ida’s country hash browns
~ 2 TBSP olive oil

Heat oil in skillet, add 5 cups of hash browns. Allow to really crisp on the bottom, then turn over and allow to crisp on the other side.

Total calories 378

Friday May 29, 2009

Chicken Pasta Primavera (385 calories, 6 servings)

(Modified from a recipe from Fix-It and Enjoy-It: Healthy Cookbook by: Phyllis Pellman Good)
~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
~ 3 cups broccoli florets, cut bite size (frozen would be fine)
~ ½ lb fresh quartered mushrooms
~ 2 small zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
~ 3 cloves of garlic, minced
~ 1 pt cherry tomatoes (optional)
~ 8 oz package whole-grain fettuccine
~ pepper to taste
~ 3 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Sauce:
~¾ cup skim milk
~1 TBSP olive oil
~2/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
~¼ grated parmesan cheese
~2 TBSP chopped fresh basil

In a large microwave-safe bowl, layer in broccoli, mushrooms, & zucchini. Cover bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Stir. Cover and cook another 2 minutes on high, or until tender-crisp

In skillet, heat olive oil. Add garlic, sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes (if wanted). Saute for 2 minutes until tomatoes are slightly cooked. Remove place in bowl

Heat a little more oil, then add bite size pieces of chicken. Cook until done.

Cook fettuccine as directed with no salt, drain. Keep warm

Prepare sauce by combining milk, oil, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil. You can either mix in a blender or food processor, process until smooth, heat sauce until warm, on stove or microwave.

Toss pasta, vegetables, chicken and sauce…Serve.

Total calories 385

Saturday May 30, 2009

Soy Ginger Tuna Steaks (230 Calories)

~Plan one steak per person (I do one to split between my 2 boys 3.5 and 20 mo)
~2 tsp tub butter/margarine
~2 tsp olive oil
~2 tsp soy sauce
~1 inch grated fresh ginger

Melt butter, mix in olive oil, soy sauce, and ginger, use a basting brush and brush it on the tuna. I cooked it 4 minutes on either side, you can do less if you like it rarer.Ginger Soy Rice ( 161 calories)Make rice according to above recipeAfter it is done, add 2 TBSP soy sauce and 1/2 inch grated fresh ginger

Green Beans (50 Calories)

Depending on how the fresh look at the store tomorrow I plan to do fresh, but if they don't look very good I'll just do frozen.
~2 TBSP Olive Oil.
~ 2 cloves garlic

I just saute my green beans in the olive oil, then add salt and pepper, and grate the 2 cloves of garlic.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)

~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Total Calories 441

Sunday May 31, 2009

Greek Chicken Pita (255 Calories)

~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 onion chopped
~ 1 tsp. Lemon pepper
~ ½ tsp. Oregano
~ ½ cup low fat plain yogurt

Combine first 3 ingredients into slow cooker. Cover and cook Low 6-8 hours
Just before time to serve, shred chicken. Add in yogurt and oregano. Serve in ½ a pita bread

Greek Pasta Salad (179 calories)
(From Fix-It and Enjoy-It: Healthy Cookbook by: Phyllis Pellman Good)

~ 6 oz tri-color rotini pasta (or whole wheat)
~ 2/3 cup unpeeled, seeded diced cucumber (1 large cucumber)
~ 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (reserve the top)
~ ¾ cups frozen baby peas, defrosted
~ half red bell pepper
~ 2 TBSP no fat mayo
~ 1 cup plain no fat yogurt
~ 1 ½ TBSP dill weed, finely chopped
~ pepper to taste
~ 1/3 cup feta cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water 7 minutes, drain, place in bowl

Add cucumber, green onions, peas, and bell pepper.

In blender or food processor combine mayo, yogurt, and green onion tops. Process until smooth. Add in dill, and pepper, process briefly.

Pour over pasta mixture and stir to mix. Cover refrigerate until well chilled. Scatter cheese over top just before serving.

Total Calories 434

Monday June 1, 2009

Meatless Stroganoff (179 calories)

~ 8 medium size portabella mushrooms
~ 2 cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
~ 1 onion
~ 3 cloves of garlic
~ 1 cup 1% milk
~ ¼ cup low fat sour cream
~ ½ cup low fat plain yogurt
~ ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
~ 1 TBSP olive oil

Heat olive oil in skillet. Slice portabella mushrooms into bite size pieces. Chop onion. Once oil is hot add onions and mushrooms, sauté until cooked through. Add Cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and grate garlic into mixture. Cook until well warmed. Turn off heat add in sour cream and yogurt. Serve over rice with a little parmesan cheese.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)

~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Total Calories 333

Week Four

2009-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 19, 2009

Nacho Chicken Pizza (397 calories)

Chicken:
~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
~ 1 can green chili enchilada sauce

Pizza:
~ 4 Whole Grain wrap size tortillas
~ 1 can fat free refried beans
~ ½ cup chicken broth
~ 1 Portabella mushroom
~ 1 green pepper
~ ½ cup salsa
~ 1 1/3 shredded cheese

Place the chicken in a crock pot. Mix the cream of chicken soup and enchilada sauce, pour over chicken. Set on low cook 4-6 hours. About 30 minutes before being done, shred the chicken with two forks. Take the lid off the chicken, and turn heat up to high let continue cooking without putting the lid back on.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat up the refried beans in the microwave, add salsa and chicken broth to make them a little looser, but not runny. Chop up mushrooms and green pepper. Place 2 tortillas on a baking sheet. Bake until they are crispy and puffing up a little bit. Repeat with other two tortillas. Top first with refried beans mixture, then chicken, then with mushrooms and peppers, and finally with the shredded cheese. Place back in oven for 5-10 minutes until heated through and cheese was melted.

Total calories 397

Wednesday May 20, 2009

Nacho Chicken Casserole (381 calories)

~ left over nacho chicken
~ left over refried bean mixture
~ 1 can drained and rinsed kidney beans
~ ½ cup salsa
~ 1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
~ 30 or so tortilla chips
~ ½ cup shredded cheese
~ ¼ cup fat free mayo (I use Kraft’s olive oil mayo)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together chicken, refried beans, kidney beans, salsa, garbanzo beans, and mayo.

Place tortilla chips in a 8x8 baking dish, cover with chicken and bean mixture, bake for about 30 minutes. Take out and cover with cheese, bake until cheese is melted.

Total Calories 381

Thursday May 21, 2009

Chicken Lettuce Wrap (221 calories)

~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 head of iceberg lettuce
~ 3 cloves of garlic
~ 1 inch ginger root
~ ½ green bell pepper
~ 1 can sliced waterchestnuts
~ 1 scallion
~ 3 TBSP hoisin sauce (I use kikoman’s stir fry sauce)
~ 2 TBSP olive oil

Remove large lettuce leaves, about 3-4 a person

Pound chicken breasts to ¼ inch thick, then slice into ¼ inch slices, and then bite size pieces. Heat oil in a wok (or a regular skillet will work). Add chicken, cook until done, take out of wok, then add bell pepper and scallion, let cook a few minutes then add waterchestnuts. Cook until warm. Add chicken back in. Grate garlic and ginger root into the chicken veggie mixture. Then add hoisin sauce. Let cook 2-3 minutes.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Total Calories 371

Friday May 22, 2009

Creamy Pork Chops (250 calories)

~ 1 lb pork chops
~ 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom
~ 1 cup chicken broth

Place pork chops in slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup and chicken broth pour over pork chops. Cook on low 6 hours.

Creamy noodles (140 calories)
~ 2 cups or half a box of Whole wheat rotini noodles
~ sauce from pork chops

Cook noodles according to package directions until just under cooked. Mix into pork chop sauce.

Cauliflower (61 calories)

~ 1 package frozen cauliflower
~ 2 TBSP tub margarine

Empty cauliflower into covered microwave safe dish. Cook in microwave 4 minutes, take out stir, add margarine, cook 4 more minutes.

Total Calories 451

Saturday May 23, 2009

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia (180 calories)
~ 4 Tilapia filets (about a pound)
~ ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
~ 2 TBSP Room Temp margarine
~ 1 ½ TBSP Fat Free Mayo (I use Olive Oil Mayo)

Pre-heat broiler. Cover cookie sheet with tin foil, shiny side up, spray with cooking spray. Place tilapia filets on baking sheet. Mix Parmesan Cheese, Margarine, and Mayo in a bowl. Place Tilapia under the broiler, cook 3 minutes on each side. Then take out of the oven, put ¼ of the mixture on each of the filets. Place back under the broiler for 3 minutes. Until golden and bubbly.

Creamy Parmesan Rice (187 calories)
~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)
Sauce:
~ ¼ cup Parmesan
~ ½ cup chicken broth
~ ¼ cup milk
~ Salt, Pepper and garlic powder to taste.Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve. After you fluff the rice, add in Parmesan, chicken broth, and milk. Mix until good and creamy. Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Green Beans (70 calories)

~ 1 bag frozen green beans
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~ ½ a medium onion
~ 1 clove of garlic

Sauté green beans and onion in a skillet with olive oil. Grate garlic after beans are cooked, then salt and pepper to taste.

Total Calories 437

Monday May 25, 2009

Red Beans and Rice (296 Calories)

~ 1 1lb bag of dried Red Beans
~ 1 box chicken stock
~ 1 small package Turkey Sausage
~ 3 cups cooked Long Grain Rice
~ 2 TBSP Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning

First sort and wash red beans. You can soak overnight, which I recommend if you can’t be around your beans all day. Drain beans, place in a crockpot. Add Box of chicken stock, and let cook on low all day. Check every few hours to check for fluid level. Around an hour before serving. Slice turkey sausage into ½ inch slices, you can brown on both sides if you want, but it isn’t necessary. Place sausage in crockpot, let finish cooking in pot of beans. Also add in Tony Chachere’s seasoning.

~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Total Calories 296

Week Three

2009-05-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 12, 2009

Cabbage Rolls (288 calories, makes 8 rolls; 2 rolls per person)
I got this off of www.crockpot365.blogspot.com, and I made some modifications of my own.

~ a large head of cabbage (we’ve been getting a lot of small heads around here so if they are small get two heads)
~ 1 egg
~ 8oz can of tomato sauce
~ ½ cup of either long grain white rice, or brown rice uncooked (not instant rice)
~ 1 envelop of dry onion soup mix
~ 1 lb fat free ground turkey (for those of you in United Supermarket territory they have this on sale for $2.19 a pound)
~1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese
~ ½ lb chopped mushrooms (these probably need to be chopped pretty small)
~ ½ an onion, chopped finely
~ ½ a green pepper, chopped in small pieces
~ 2 cups of V8 (I’m going to do the spicy V8, because I think my hubby will like it more)

Peel off 8 large cabbage leaves, and wash. Then put in a covered microwave safe dish, and microwave for 2 minutes in order to steam them and soften them up. Set aside

In a mixing bowl mix, Turkey, egg, tomato sauce, raw rice, onion soup mix, Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, onion, green pepper. It will sort of be like a meat loaf.

Then spoon 1/3 of a cup of the mixture into each of the cabbage leaves. Roll or fold as you go. You can make these like little egg rolls. Put the stuffed cabbage leaves in the crock pot seam side down. It is ok if the rolls have to be stacked in the crock pot.

Pour 2 cups of V8 over the cabbage rolls. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Salad (calories vary based on how you serve your salad, ours without dressing is usually around 35-50 calories) Watch your salad dressing, as they can add a lot of empty calories. I will probably use left over Creamy Dill Dip from a week ago (11 calories a Tablespoon)

Total Calories 349 (I used the higher of the two ends of the salad calorie count which means I’ll probably add cheese to the salad and my creamy dill dip as the dressing)

Wednesday May 13, 2009

Orzo Chicken Salad (314 calories)

~ 2 cups of uncooked Whole Wheat Orzo (around here I’ve only been able to find Orzo at United)
~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ 1 small bag of frozen green beans (fresh would also work use around 1.5 pounds)
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~ about ¼ cup lemon juice (you might want to add more depends on what your family likes)
~ 4 TBSP Kraft Free Zesty Italian (this is only 15 calories per 2 TBSP serving and this is what is figured into the salad)
~ salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Cook the Orzo according to package directions, but make sure it is a little underdone as it will keep cooking for a few minutes.

Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces, put 2 TBSP olive oil into skillet, and cook the chicken. Once it is cooked add your green beans, and sauté until cooked. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your tastes. Finally add the Zesty Italian dressing.

Mix the cooked orzo and the chicken/green bean mixture. Then stir in the lemon juice.

This can be served cold or warm…we usually eat it warm. The great thing about this meal is that it is a 2 pot meal and it is all you need.

Total calories 314

Thursday May 14, 2009

Chili Lime Cod (169 calories)

~ 1.25 lbs of cod (my boys LOVE fish so I always need to cook more for them. I think 1 lb would be good in most cases)
~ 1 tsp chili powder
~ ½ tsp dried oregano (I don’t like this spice dried, I might not put it in at all)
~ Salt to taste
Sauce:
~ 1 TBSP butter (I figured the calories for this using Tub margarine)
~ ¼ tsp cumin powder
~ juice of half a lime

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, then place the cod fillets skin side down (if you don’t have skin on yours don’t worry about which side goes down). Sprinkle with chili powder, oregano, and salt. Place in oven and cook for 5-7 minutes until opaque and flakes with a fork.

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat melt 1 TBSP of butter, swirl constantly until butter starts to brown, add cumin and lime juice, continuing to swirl for 1 minute.

Serve cod with sauce over it.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)
~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Squash (49 calories)

~5 small-medium zucchinis
~ 1 medium onion
~ 2 TBSP Tub margarine
~ Salt and Pepper to taste
Slice zucchinis in half and then slice them in half moon shapes. Dice the onion. Place both in a large skillet, and sauté until they are almost cooked to your liking, then add margarine and salt and pepper.

Total Calories 372

Friday May 15, 2009

Tortilla Pizzas (285 calories)

~ 4 Whole grain wrap size tortillas (I use Smart & Delicious Soft Wraps with 13 g of fiber in them)
~ 1 portabella good size mushroom
~ 1 Bell Pepper (color of your choice)
~ ½ a medium onion
~ Fresh basil (about 10 leaves total)
~ 1 can sliced black olives (you won’t need the whole can)
~ 1 cup Kraft Fat free Mozzarella
~ 4 oz panchetta
~ 2 small cans Hunts fire roasted tomatoes
~ 3 TBSP tomato paste
~ 2 cloves of garlic

Homemade Marinara sauce
Start by rendering some of the fat out of the panchetta. Slice up the panchetta into small pieces. Then heat it in a skillet until it renders some of the fat. Take the panchetta out of the pan (set aside to use on top of your pizza), but leave the drippings. Add the two cans of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato paste. Let it simmer on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Stack the basil leaves, then roll them up, and slice them to make basil confetti. Add about ½ of it to the marinara sauce, reserve the rest for the pizza itself. (this will make more than you need, I just freeze it and use it the next time)

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. (I recommend doing this step while you are making the marinara). Place two tortillas on a large baking sheet, and place in the oven. Let it crisp up and develop bubbles (I would tell you a time, but it varies so much from time to time). Once it is crisp, remove from the oven and set aside. Repeat with the other two tortillas.

Slice up the portabella mushroom, bell pepper, and onion into small pieces (about ¼ inch by ¼ inch). Set up a prep station, where you can lay out all of your ingredients (mushroom, bell pepper, onion, olives, panchetta, and basil).

Take about ¼ cup of the marinara sauce and spread it on one of the tortillas, then top as you like, after you top add ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle some basil confetti on top. Place in the oven for between 5-10 minutes. You can do two at a time using the large baking sheet you toasted your tortillas on. Slice then serve.

This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes, he used to always want pizza, but now since I’ve started making this he wants nothing to do with regular pizza.

Total Calories 285

Saturday May 16, 2009

Country Pork Ribs (372 calories)

~ 1 lb pork ribs
~ 1 cup bar-b-que sauce of your choice
~ ½ cup chicken broth
~ Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Place Pork Ribs in crock pot, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, mix bar-b-que sauce and chicken broth then pour over pork ribs. Cook on low 8 hours.

Caramelized Chipoline Onions (83 calories, 4 onions per person)

~ 16 Chipoline onions (Pearl onions should work ok too)
~ 3 TBSP margarine (I use blue bonnet tub margarine)

Melt 1.5 TBSPs of margarine in a skillet over medium high heat. Peal the chipoline onions, but leave them whole. Add the onions to the skillet allow to brown on the bottom side, when they are brown turn them over in the skillet, and allow them to brown on that side. When done browning add the last 1.5 TBSP margarine to finish off the dish.

Peas (52 calories)

~ one bag frozen peas
~ Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder

In a microwave safe container place the peas. Then microwave on high for 4 minutes. Stir adding the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to your taste. Microwave for another 3-4 minutes

Total Calories 507

Monday May 18, 2009

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Chicken (232 calories)

~ 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
~ ½ cup Kraft Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees. Marinate chicken in honey mustard vinaigrette for 30-60 minutes. Place chicken with marinade in a 9x13 baking dish, bake for 30-45 minutes.

Dijon Vinaigrette Red Potato Salad (167 calories, 4 servings)
Serve Cold

~ 1 lb Red Potatoes
~ 1/3 cup cut up Green onions
~ ¼ cup red wine vinegar
~ 2 TBSP Dijon mustard (not honey)
~ 1 clove garlic

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces, and boil until fork tender (make sure they are still firm enough they don’t loose their skins). Chill potatoes until ready to serve.

Mix potato salad dressing, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and the clove of garlic. Also chill until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, mix potatoes, green onions, and dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Broccoli (54 calories)
~ 1 bag of frozen broccoli
~ 2 TBSP margarine (I used blue bonnet tub margarine)

Place broccoli in microwave safe dish. Microwave 4 minutes, stir, add margarine, microwave another 4 minutes.

Total Calories 453

Modification

2009-05-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

I had to switch the order of a couple of meals this week, because of schedule issues. Well the boys had the Pop Pork Chops last night, and my hubby informed me this morning they were a little sweet. I used to make these all the time in the oven, and never had a problem with them. So I guess since this was the first time that I made them in the crockpot, they didn't turn out as good. Here is my modification, I would do these in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and half. The soda actually makes a really yummy almost bar-b-que sauce on it. I guess it is just one of those things you shouldn't fix it if it isn't broke, so do this one in the oven.

I hope no one else had to endure sweet pork chops.

Week Two

2009-05-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 5, 2009 (Cinco De Mayo)

Tacos (242 calories per 3 tacos)

~ One box of taco shells (I do the Old El Paso 18 to a box)
~ 1 lb hamburger
~ 1 package taco seasoning
~ ½ an onion
~ 1 TBSP olive oil

Toppings (optional and not included in calorie count):
~ low fat sour cream
~ salsa
~ 1 bag shredded lettuce
~ one tomato diced
~ other half of the onion diced
~ one can of sliced olives
~ shredded cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a skillet, put a little olive oil and sauté your onion, when getting soft add your hamburger meat and brown. Then follow the directions on the package of taco seasoning. Place the taco shells in a roasting pan (I usually have to use a roasting pan and a loaf pan to get them all in). Then spoon 1 TBSP of the meat mixture into each taco shell. Place in oven and bake for about 7-10 minutes. Top as you like.

Pinto Beans (1 cup is 160 calories)

I just use a can of Bush’s pinto beans and heat it up on the stovetop.

Total calories 402 (Plus your toppings, if you only top with veggies, olives, and salsa you add very few calories)

Wednesday May 6, 2009

Pop Pork Chops (201 Calories per chop)

~ 4 boneless pork chops (about 1 lb total, 4 oz a piece)
~ 1 20 oz bottle of pop (ok for those of us around here soda, it really needs to be straight cola not like cherry cola)
~ Garlic powder
~ onion powder
~ salt and pepper

Season the pork chops with the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt & pepper. Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray. Place the pork chops in the bottom of the crock. Pour the soda over the pork chops. Cook 7-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. These pork chops will be fall apart tender, and you won’t even be able to tell they were made with soda!

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes (227 calories)

~ 4 medium potatoes
~ 1 small onion, finely chopped
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~ 2 TBSP fresh chopped rosemary (I would so go for the fresh, it makes your house smell like a gourmet kitchen!)
~ Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven 450 degrees

After washing, cut potatoes into one inch chunks. Mix onion, olive oil, and rosemary in a bowl. Toss the potato chunks in to coat. Pour out on a cookie sheet/baking sheet. Then salt and pepper to taste. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally.

Spinach (1/2 cup 45 calories)
My oldest son has been asking for spinach this week so I’m making it for him…which means he won’t actually eat it.

~ 1 bag of frozen chopped spinach
~ salt and pepper

Place bag of frozen spinach in a microwave safe covered dish, place it in microwave and cook for 4 minutes. Remove stir and replace. Continue cooking for 4 more minutes. When finished take out salt and pepper to your taste.

Total calories 473

Thursday May 7, 2009

Moo Goo Gai Pan: Chicken & Mushroom stir fry (206 calories per serving, this makes about 6 servings)
~1 lb chicken
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~1 can baby corn (I cut mine into 1/2 inch pieces)
~1 can sliced water chestnuts (make sure they are already sliced in the can)
~1 can bamboo shoots
~1 lb mushrooms (I buy the pre-sliced saves elbow grease)
~6 stalks of celery cut into 1 inch pieces
~Ginger either fresh or dried
~Garlic either fresh or powder

Sauce:
~1 cup chicken broth
~3 tsp corn starch
~1 tbsp soy sauce
~1 tbsp hoisin sauce (I used kikoman's stir fry sauce)
~1 tsp sugar

Pound chicken flat (about ¼ of an inch), then slice into ¼ inch thick (on the longer pieces I cut those in two pieces). heat pan (I use a wok but a skillet would be fine), and 1 tbsp oil then add veggies, stir fry 3-4 minutes. Take out of pan add 1 tbsp oil add chicken cook until done, grate Ginger and garlic (or use powders). While the chicken is cooking, mix everything together for the sauce (chicken broth, corn starch, soy & hoisin sauce, and sugar). Mix veggies into chicken then make a well for the sauce, pour sauce in let boil, then mix together let cook a minute or two more. Serve with white rice.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)
~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve

Total calories 360

Friday May 8, 2009

Philly Cheese steak Surprise! (meat mixture 321 calories, makes 4 servings)
Ok this is a new one for me, so I hope it turns out ok. This is also a splurge meal, but still well under 600 calories

~1 lb round steak, sliced
~ 2 onions, sliced
~ 4 cloves of garlic
~ 1 green bell pepper, sliced
~ 1 cup beef broth (I would say you might want to check fluid level about half way through cooking this)

Topping: Optional but included in the above calorie count if you don’t use subtract 60 calories per serving.

~ 2/3 cup shredded fiesta blend cheese

Slice steak in ¼ inch pieces, add to your crockpot, slice onions in ¼ inch or so slices add to the crock pot, slice the bell pepper into ¼ inch slices add the crock. Grate the garlic over the whole mixture, and then mix up. Add the beef broth. Set on low and cook for 8 hours. As stated above, I’d check your fluid level about half way through cooking.

When done cooking you could stuff this mixture into a baked potato (about 163 calories), a French roll (about 150 calories), or a pita pocket (about 80 calories for half a pita). Choose what you want to put your meat on, add the meat, then place back in the oven with cheese on top to melt the cheese.

Skillet fake out potato skins (150 calories per ½ cup serving)
Found in Kraft Food & Family magazine, I made some modifications.

~ 2 slices center cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces (could be turkey bacon would decrease calories)
~ ½ onion chopped
~ 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
~ 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I use a fiesta blend for everything)
~ Sour cream optional to top with

Cook the bacon in large non-stick skillet on medium heat, remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserve 3 TBSP drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on a paper towel. Add onions to skillet, cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes. Cover cook on medium-low heat 20-25 minutes or until tender, stir occasionally.

Top with bacon and cheese, cook covered for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.

Total calories Baked potato (no skillet potato skins): 484 calories
French roll & side: 621 calories
Pita bread & side: 551 calories (This is our choice!)
Whole Pita & side: 621 calories

Saturday May 9, 2009

Cajun Broiled Mahi-Mahi (147 calories, makes 4 servings)
~ 1.5 lb Mahi-Mahi
~ 2 TBSP Tony Chachere’s

Pre-heat broiler. Cover baking sheet with tin foil, shiny side up so that you get the reflective heat. Spray with cooking spray. Place Mahi on cooking sheet, sprinkle with Tony Chachere’s on both sides. Place under broiler for 4 minutes on each side, or until it flakes using a fork.

Cajun Asparagus (45 calories, makes 4 servings)

~ 1 good size bunch of Asparagus
~ 1 TBSP Tony Chachere’s
~ 1 TBSP olive oil

Wash and trim the asparagus, dry then put on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with Tony Chachere’s.

Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings)

~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Total Calories 346

Monday May 11, 2009

Creamy Salsa Chicken Thighs (224 calories, 4 servings)

~ 4 bone-in chicken thighs
~ 1 cup salsa (your choice, but we really like Tascosa Salsa or Hell on the Red)
~ 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
~ Salt and Pepper
~ Garlic Powder
~ Onion Powder

Spray bottom of your crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken thighs in and season with salt and pepper, garlic power and onion powder. Mix salsa and cream of mushroom soup, pour over chicken. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-4 hours.

Creamy Salsa Rice (154 Calories, makes 4 servings the sauce calories are already accounted for in the chicken recipe)

~1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
~2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve.

Mix into creamy salsa chicken sauce after you remove the chicken thighs.

Green Beans (70 calories, 4 servings)

~ 1 bag frozen green beans
~ ½ an onion
~ 2 TBSP olive oil

I just sauté the onions and green beans in the olive oil. Then I salt and pepper to taste. Easy side dish!

Total Calories 448

First Bust

2009-04-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

So I wasn't terribly fond of the stuffed mushrooms, which was a huge shock because I LOVE mushrooms. I really think the recipe called for too much balsamic vinegar, and I think if I make them again I'll just cut the balsamic vinegar completely and leave a little more of the fire roasted tomato's juice.

On a plus side, I had some of the stuffing material left over, and since it was already accounted for in my calorie count I just added it to my ground beef. Now that made a yummy meat patty, and it was so juicy. I was asked earlier how many beef patties I get for that calorie count, and I'd say that I usually get 4 - 1/4 lb hamburger patties out of it. We raise our own beef, so it is really lean, when I run out of that I'll buy 93/7 lean ground turkey (can't tell the difference and it is cheaper).

One other note, if you leave in the United Supermarket areas they have buy one get one free on their boneless skinless chicken breasts. I bought 4 meals worth of chicken for $11.48...not too bad. I also bought 1.5 lbs of tuna for under 11 bucks.

Thanks for reading!

Week One

2009-04-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday April 28, 2009:

Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms (210 Calories)
~ 4 Portobella Mushroom Caps
~ 1 small can fire roasted tomatoes (drained as much as possible)
~ 1/4 cup olive oil
~ 1/4 balsamic vinegar
~ 4 basil leaves sliced
~ 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
~ 1/4 cup of bread crumbs
~ salt and pepper to taste

~Cut the stems off, and chop up and place in bowl, scrape the brown fuzzy things off the bottom of the mushroom cap also place in the bowl
~drain tomatoes, add to mushroom mix, with bread crumbs, olive oil, vinegar, cheese, and salt and pepper, mix up
~Spray the bottom of your crockpot with cooking spray
~Place mushrooms top side down into crockpot
~spoon mixture into mushroom caps
~ Cover cook on low 4-7 hours

Hamburger Patties (My hubby is too much of a meat eater not to have some meat I think) (130 calories)
Just a pound of lean meat, season as you would like

Rice (154 Calories)
1 cup of Long grain Rice (not instant)
2 cups chicken broth (sometimes I do 1 cup chicken broth one cup water)

Mix together in pan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to LOW, cook for between 18-20 minutes without lifting the lid, turn heat off, lift lid for 5 seconds then put lid back on and let sit for 5 more minutes. Fluff with fork before you serve

Total calories 494

Wednesday April 29, 2009

Whole Lemon Chicken (192 calories)

~One whole chicken
~ 2 lemons
~ 5 cloves of garlic
~ Salt and Pepper

~ Clean the chicken (take the neck and gizzards out wash out the inside) and pat dry
~ Cut one of the lemons in half, and place half in the chicken cavity then put the 5 cloves of garlic, finally place the second half in the chicken
~ Place a few foil balls in the bottom of your crockpot
~ Salt and Pepper the outside of the chicken
~ Place it in the crockpot upside down (breast side down)
~ Squeeze remaining lemon over the top of the chicken.
~ Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours

New Potatoes in Dill Cream Sauce (110 calories)

~ 1.5 lbs new potatoes (the small ones, but I've used the big ones and just cut into smaller pieces)
~ 1/2 a tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Chive and Onion Spread (they make this reduced calorie AWESOME)
~ 1/8 cup of milk
~ 1/2 chopped bell pepper (any color you like)
~ 2 TBSP Chopped Dill

~ Wash and cut potatoes (if they are small just cut in half or quarter larger cut smaller)
~ Boil Potatoes until tender (but not falling out of the skin) about 15 minutes
~ Mix Cream Cheese, Milk, Pepper in a microwave bowl. Microwave High 40-50 Seconds or until Cream cheese is melted.
~ Stir until well blended, mix in dill
~ Drain potatoes, add back to pot, stir in sauce, Mix until well mixed up.

Broccoli (54 calories)

~ One package of Broccoli
~ 2 TBSP Tub Margarine

Mix together, microwave 4 minutes, stir, microwave 4 more minutes.

Total Calories 356

Thursday April 31, 2009

Left Over Chicken Stir Fry (262 Calories)

~Left over chicken from the Whole Chicken on Wednesday
~ One bag of Fresh stir fry veggies (I get these in the produce department, has broccoli, sprouts, snow peas, etc. You could use frozen)
~ 1 TBSP Soy
~ 3 TBSP Kikoman's Stir Fry Sauce

Stir fry the chicken and veggies until tender, then add soy and Kikoman's and stir up...it's ready.

Rice (154 calories)
Follow Directions from above

Total Calories 416

Friday May 1, 2009

Soy Ginger Tuna Steaks (230 Calories)
Plan one steak per person (I do one to split between my 2 boys 3.5 and 20 mo)
2 tsp tub butter/margarine
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 inch grated fresh ginger

Melt butter, mix in olive oil, soy sauce, and ginger, use a basting brush and brush it on the tuna. I cooked it 4 minutes on either side, you can do less if you like it rarer.

Ginger Soy Rice ( 161 calories)
Make rice according to above recipe

After it is done, add 2 TBSP soy sauce and 1/2 inch grated fresh ginger

Green Beans (50 Calories)
Depending on how the fresh look at the store tomorrow I plan to do fresh, but if they don't look very good I'll just do frozen.
~2 TBSP Olive Oil.
~ 2 cloves garlic

I just saute my green beans in the olive oil, then add salt and pepper, and grate the 2 cloves of garlic.

Total Calories 441

Saturday May 2, 2009 (my Birthday)

Chicken Fajitas (248 Calories)
~ 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
~ 2 TBSP olive oil
~ 1 large onion
~ 1 green bell pepper
~ 1 lb sliced white mushrooms
~ Chili Powder
~ Cumin
~ Paprika

~ Pound the chicken breasts flat, then sprinkle both sides with Chili Powder, Cumin, and Paprika, then slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
~ Slice onions and peppers into 1/4 inch slices
~ I do this in two skillets, but you can do it in one just one thing at a time, heat the oil (1 TBSP in each skillet), cook the chicken and the onions (I like these pretty soft).

Corn Tortillas (3 pieces is 147 calories)

Black Beans ( 1/3 cup 67 calories)
I just use Bush's Seasoned Black beans

Add Cheese as wanted

Total Calories 462

Monday May 4, 2009

Buffalo Chicken Tenders (195 calories) I usually serve with Carrots and Celery
~ 1 package already sliced chicken tenders (chicken breasts would work here, but this way it is less work)
~ 1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce
~ 2 TBSP butter/Margarine

~Bake the chicken tenders until done
~ Melt butter, add the hot sauce
~ When tenders are done, toss in sauce

Oven Baked Fries *Family Favorite* (226 calories)
~ 4 medium sized potatoes
~ 2 TBSP Olive Oil
~ Salt and Pepper to taste.

~ Pre-Heat oven to 500 degrees
~ Wash potatoes, cut in half long ways, then slice thin (I usually get about 10 slices per half)
~ Place sliced potatoes on cookie sheet in one layer (sometimes it takes me two cookie sheets)
~ drizzle with oil
~ Salt and Pepper to taste
~ Put in oven bake for 10 minutes, flip over, then bake another 10-15 minutes

Yummy Creamy Dill Dipping Sauce (11 calories per Tablespoon) This makes a TON
~ 1 cup Low fat Sour Cream
~ 1 cup Milk
~12 pieces of fresh dill
~ garlic powder (to your liking I love garlic and sometimes get carried away)

Mix all above ingredients, and refrigerate for at least a few hours, but over night is best.

That is the end of week one. I hope you might have found some meals that you like.

Introduction

2009-04-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Karla and about 3 months ago I decided I was tired of being fat! So I broke down and bought a Wii Fit (now I've graduated to the Wii My Fitness Coach), and started cooking healthier for my whole family. I realized if I started making a weekly plan we were more likely to eat at home, which was drastically cutting my calorie intake (not to mention helping the bank account). So far I have had a lot of success with this, losing 34 lbs since the end of January. I am still hoping to lose another 75 lbs.

In this process, I have had a lot of friends request that I share some of my recipes with them. In this blog, I am going to include my weekly meal plans (Tuesday-Monday), along with calorie counts for those meals. I plan one meal a day Tuesday-Saturday (skip Sunday as that is our treat day) then a meal on Monday. I will be repeating meals, because there are some meals that my family might hurt me if I don't ever make again. I will also try to include a new recipe each week.