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Broiled Greek Shrimp

Broiled Greek Shrimp

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 14-1/2 ou. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh italian parsley, divided
• 2 lbs. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 c. crumbled Feta cheese
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat broiler.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and saute' for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and half the parsley. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a broiler-proof dish and sprinkle with feta cheese. Broil till nicely melted and slightly brown on top. Watch as it broils. It takes only a second!

Before serving, sprinkle with parsley, lemon juice and pepper.

Serving suggestion: Serve on a bed of baked spaghetti squash with a big green salad.

Per Serving:
400 calories; 15g fat; 53g protein; 1g fiber, 11g carb; 378 cholesterol; 917 sodium.

My Notes:

This was DELICIOUS! I didn't have fresh parsley, I forgot the lemon juice and it was still DELICIOUS. It was perfect over the spaghetti squash, too.

Note - If you're prone to migraines, try not to eat too much of the feta - it sent me into a headache.

Sliced Lemon Almond Chicken over Greens

Sliced Lemon Almond Chicken over Greens
courtesy of Me and Cooking Light Magazine

• 3/4 c. cornflakes (I used wheaties)
  
• 2 tbls. almonds, toasted (I used slivered)
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 6 C. gourmet salad greens
• 1 tbls. fresh lemon juice
• 1tsp. olive oil
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine cornflakes, almonds, rind, 1/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper in a food processor; pulse until coursely ground. Place crumb mixture in a shallow dish.

Place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dredge the chicken in a crumb mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken, and saute' 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips; set aside.

Place salad greens in a large bowl. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, juice and oil, and drizle over salad greens, tossing gently to coat.

Divide the salad greens and chicken evently among 4 plates. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

Per Serving:
Calories 187; Fat 5.6; protein 29; carb 10; fiber 2; cholesterol 66; iron 2.5; sodium 427

My notes:

Although the recipe called for pistachios, I iddn't have any and used almond slivers instead. As well, the recipe originally called for you to coat the chicken in HONEY, but I totally forgot to do it, and it came out excellent anyway, so I left it out and adjusted the nutritional to reflect that. My son loved this, and since he's so picky, I figured this is a good sign! We loved it as well, even with the slightly odd dressing on the greens. :)

Skillet Chicken w/ Honey-Mustard Mayo

Skillet Chicken w/Honey-Mustard Mayo

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbls olive oil

Honey-mustard mayo

• 1/4 c. low-fat mayo
• 1-1/2 Tbls honey
• 2 Tbls Dijon mustard

To make the chicken: on a dinner plate, season the chicken breasts on both sides with the seasonings.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute' the chicken, browning well for about 5 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through.

To make the honey-mustard mayo: in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

Serve each cooked breast with a dallop of mayo sauce on top.

Per serving:
231 calories; 9g fat; 28g protein; 8g carb; trace fiber; 73 cholesterol; 242 sodium

I actually served the breasts sliced into medallions, and put the sauce on the side. Everyone loved it.

Pepper-stuffed Herb chicken

Pepper-stuffed Herb Chicken

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 c. Feta cheese
• 4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone)
• 3/4 cup white wine (or white grape juice with a splash of vinegar)
• 1 Tbs. butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onion, pepper, garlic, salt and pepper, and herbs and cook till onion is translucent and peppers are soft. Let cool. When cooled, add the cheese, tossing well to distribute.

In the meantime, prepare chicken. Loosen the skin of the chicken and stuff 1/4 of the mixture in between skin and flesh. Sprinkle the tops of the chicken with salt and pepper, and place in a metal baking dish.

Roast chicken for about 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm.

Heat the pan on the stovetop, about medium-high heat. Add the white wine and , using a wire whisk, get all the browned goodies off the bottom of the pan, whisking as you go. Let the pan juices reduce to about half. Remove from heat, add the butter, whisk well, and serve over the top of the chicken.

Per Serving:
639 calories; 35g fat; 8g carbs; 2g fiber; 202mg cholesterol; 321 sodium.

Sicilian Fish

• 1 Tbls olive oil
• 4 fish fillets
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 sm. onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. basil

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add fish fillets, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 2 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish. Carefully remove fish from skillet and keep warm.

Add 1/4 c. water to the skillet and deglaze pan using a wire whisk. Now add the onion, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, oregano, basil and salt & pepper again, and cook till tender and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Serve fish with this mixture over the top.

Per Serving:
252 calories; 5g fat; 43g protein; 7g carb; 2g fiber; 99mg cholesterol; 131mg sodium

My notes:

This was excellent. I used tilapia fish, as usual, and it worked excellently. The next time, I'm going to try it using some garlic and I always omit the mushrooms. I may also use bigger tomatoes, because this didn't really leave much in the way of a "sauce" for the fish - just the onions and tomatoes. Otherwise, it was excellent!

Nutty Oven-Fried Fish

Nutty Oven-Fried Fish

• 1/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/3 c. almonds, crushed
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 4 fish fillets
• 1 lemon, cut in quarters

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a blender or food processor, process together the bread crumbs and almonds till fine. Pour onto a dinner plate.

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and dip in the fish fillets, one at a time. Then press the fish into the bread-crumb mixture.

Place the coated fish in a lightly greased baking pan. Cook fish for about 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Per serving:
294 calories; 7g fat; 46g protein; 12g carb; 2g fiber; 101mg cholesterol; 423 sodium.

My Notes:
I did not use buttermilk, and the breadcrumb mixture still stayed on quite well with just 2% milk. It was rather bland on taste, though, so I added the following:

2 Tbs. light mayonnaise
2 ts. dried dill
dash of garlic salt

I mixed this together, and we each spread about a Tbs each onto our fish and it was delicious!

Crock Beef Stew w/ Oven Roasted Vegetables

• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1-3/4 lb beef stew meat
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 can beef broth (13 to 14-1/2 ounces)
• 2 ts. thyme
• 12 medium mushrooms
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1-1/2 Tb olive oil
• 1 Tb. cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tb cold water

IN a skillet, heat 1/2 Ts olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add beef and garlic and brown, salting and peppering to taste. Stir in broth and dried thyme. Bring to a boil and transfer to a crock-pot. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the type of slow cooker you have.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a jelly-roll pan with a little olive oil. Place the veggies on the pan. Drizzle 1/2 Tb olive oil over vegetables, tossing to coat. Roast in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.

At the last hour of cooking, add the cornstarch mixture, cook and stir 2 minutes with the lid off or until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in the roasted vegetables and serve.

Per serving:
289 calories; 13g fat; 32g protein; 12g carb; 2 fiber; 77mg cholesterol; 285mg sodium.

*Note: I leave out the mushrooms and substituted some zucchini and yellow squash instead. YUM!

Indian summer Skillet Chicken

Indian Summer Skillet Chicken

• 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tb flour, for dusting
• 1 Tb olive oil, divided
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 c. chicken broth
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (remove stems)

Season the chicken with salt & pepper and dust lightly in flour.

In a skillet, heat half the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute' the chicken and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil and heat, then add the onions and garlic in the pan; saute' until the onion is translucent. Add the white wine and then, using a wire whisk, deglaze the pan. Now add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce the sauce to the desired consistency.

Last, add the basil to the sauce and return the chicken to the pan to heat. Serve chicken with sauce over the top.

Per serving:
200 calories; 5g fat; 29g protein; 6g carb; 1g fiber; 68mg cholesterol; 144mg sodium

Tuscan Pork Chops

Tuscan Pork Chops

• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 4 boneless pork chops (I used 5 bone-in chops)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp rosemary, crushed
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/4 c. red wine (or use red grape juice with a splash of vinegar)
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1 T butter

In a skillet, heat the oilive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chops, salt & epper to taste. Brown on both sies, about 5 minutes per side, depending on how thick they are. Remove the chops and keep warm.

To the skillet, add the garlic, rosemary, tomato, red wine, and chicken broth. Turn up the heat and cook sauce; using a wire whisk, whisk up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let sauce reduce and remove from the heat. Add the butter. When ti is melted and incorporated into the sauce, add the chops back in and thoroughly coat. Then remove chops to dinner plates; serve with sauce ladled over the top.

This WAS AWESOME! My son, the most pickiest eater in the world, gave it 4,000 stars.

I served it to everyone else with corn and green beans (since it was only 1 pork chop), and I made myself some yellow squash in the same pan that the chops had come out of. Again, awesome.

Per serving:
218 calories; 11g fat; 21g protein; 3g carb; 1g fiber; 59mg cholesterol; 76 sodium.

Summer Crock

Summer Crock

• 1 lb italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups eggplant, cubed
• 1-1/2 cups yellow squash, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, canned
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet, cook the sausage and, using a wooden spoon, crumble it. Drain grease and place the sausage in the crockpot.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Now add the onion, eggplant, squashes, and garlic, sauteing about 2 minutes. Add this to the crock.

Now add the broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Using a wire whisk, get all the stuff up off the bottom of the skillet and incorporate into the broth. Allow to boil vigorously for about a minute. Pour this over thet op of the crockpot.

One last time in the skillet, add the tomatoes and their juice and the seasonings. Heat to a boil, then add on top of everything else in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on the type of slow cooker you have, or till veggies are tender but not overcooked. (*note: I cooked it on high for about 4 hours and it turned out AWESOME!)

Per Serving
469 calories; 20g fat; 20g protein; 14 carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber; 86mg cholesterol; 988 sodium

Another note: I used a green pepper instead of eggplant because I didn't have any, and it wound up being the same for carbs.

This recipe makes quite a bit, so I was able to get away with having only this with a salad and it was more than filling! YUM.

Kitchen Sink Soup

This is a recipe I made up on my own. It really was very tasty!

Kitchen Sink Soup
By Dawn

• 1 c carrots, sliced
• 1 c celery, sliced
• 1 c yellow snap beans (wax beans)
• 1 c frozen spinach
  
• 2 c yellow summer squash sliced
• 1 lg onion (1 cup)
• 2 c chopped chicken (see below)
• 1/2 c green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbs garlic chives, chopped
  
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp chicken soup base
• 1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped

While I was chopping the veggies, I placed 4 chicken quarters (the leg and thigh section) that had been picked on for dinner the other night in about 7 cups of water and set it to boil. To that, I added the tops of the inside sections of celery (the leafy portion), the top portion of a fresh onion (what most consider green onions), and salt & pepper. That boiled the whole time I chopped veggies, about 45 minutes or so.

After the veggies were chopped, I poured the chicken and broth into a strainer that was placed in a bowl. The bowl caught the broth, and then I placed the chopped veggies (all except the yellow squash and onion) into the pot, along with about a tablespoon of olive oil.

The yellow squash and onion went on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in a 425 ° oven for 25 minutes.

I sauteed the veggies in the pot for a while, while picking the chicken off the bones.

Finally, I put the broth, chicken and roasted vegetables into the pot and brought it back to a boil. To this, I added the rosemary, chicken base and garlic salt.

I cooked this for about 10 minutes (the time it took to wash the dishes I'd dirtied during this time), and then turned it off. I left it off until we ate lunch, about 40 minutes.

Later, I'll reheat it for a few minutes, and serve it again, but with a salad, for dinner!

I figured out the nutritional info and it fell as such:

Per serving, which I'm figuring is about 1 cup of soup.
Cal 129; Fat 22; Cholesterol 42; Sodium 239; Potassium 492; Carbs 8; fiber 3.5; protein 14.5

ENJOY!

Faux-Tay-Toe Salad

Faux-tay-toe Salad

• 1 lb cauliflower, steamed
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 3 T mayonaise
• 1/2 T relish
• 2 eggs, hard boiled, chopped
• 2 green onions, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

In a bow, mix everything together, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours for best flavor.

(Note: I left out the eggs and relish, but this was still excellent and very easy to mistake for real taters!)

Per Serving:
151 calories; 12g fat; 6g protein; 9g carb; 3g dietary fiber; 110mg cholesterol; 141 mg sodium.

Classic Salisbury Steak

Classic Salisbury Steak

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbls dry whole-wheat bread crumbs (I use low-carb breadcrumbs from 4c)
  
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbls horseradish
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbls vegetable oil, divided
• 1 can beef broth
• 3 cups mushrooms, sliced (I leave these out)
  
• 2 Tbls cold water
• 2 tsp cornstarch

In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly, then shape into 4 oval 1/2 inch thick patties.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil until hot and place patties in the skillet. Cook about 7 to 8 minutes or until no longer ink and juices run clear, turning ust once. Remove patties from skillet and keep warm.

In the same skillet, saute' mushrooms till soft. Remove mushrooms and add broth, using a wire whisk to scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow broth to simmer until slightly reduced. Mix cornstarch with cold water, mixing well until combined (no lumps!). Add to broth mixture and cook over medium heat (it needs to simmer) for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Add back the mushrooms and stir well, serving the mushroom gravy over patties.

Per Serving:
358 calories; 24g fat; 24g protein; 12g carb, 1 g dietary fiber; 79mb cholesterol; 381 sodium

Mashed Faux-tay-toes

Mashed Faux-tay-toes

• 1 head cauliflower, about 1 lb
• 3 Tbls cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Wash the cauliflower, peel off any leaves, and trim down the stem. Place the head in a pan containing about 2 inches of water. Place the pan on high heat and bring to a boil, lower the temperature to about medium, cover the pan and cook till cauliflower is fork tender, about 10 minutes or so.

Drain well and add cream cheese and salt & pepper to taste. Using a potato masher, mash the way you would mash potatoes and serve when you get the desired consistency.

Per Serving:
66 calories; 4g fat; 3g protein; 6g carb, 3g dietary fiber; 12mg cholesterol; 66mg sodium.

**Note: I made this and my 2 yr old daughter couldn't get enough of it!

Jack Fish

This was an awesome recipe.

• 1-1/2 lbs fish (I used tilapia)
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (I used mozzarella)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375d. Salt & pepper the fish to your liking. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes and green onion. Spoon over the fish. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes. Remove from oven and spread the cheese over each. Return to the oven until cheese is melted. I actually turned the broiler on to toast the cheese a bit.

Enjoy!

Cheesey Garlic Chops

• 1 - 1-1/2 lbs pork chops, boned or not
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 4 slices american cheese

In a skillet, spread the crushed garlic evenly around the pan. Place the chops down on top of the garlic, cover and place over a low light. Flip the chops after 10 minutes, cover again. Check after 5 minutes to see if they're cooked through (not pink). Place the american cheese over the chops, pour a cup of water into the pan, cover and and heat for 1 or 2 minutes or until the water starts to bubble and the cheese melts.

This is great with pasta or potatoes.

American Chop Suey

• 1 lb hamburger
• 2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 1-2 Tb. oil
• garlic salt
• onion powder
• salt & pepper
• 1 lb spaghetti or angel hair

---

In a tablespoon or two of oil, brown the onions. Add the hamburger and brown. I typically sprinkle the garlic salt & onion powder over the meat/onion mixture, enough to coat without drowning.

Once the hamburger is cooked through, hand crush the tomatoes and add the juice to the pot. Add 1-1/2 - 2 cans of water. Again sprinkle the garlic salt & onion powder across the pot, add salt & pepper. Simmer while the spaghetti cooks. The longer you simmer, the better.

An alternative to this is to use crushed tomatoes. This makes the sauce thicker and works with both spaghetti & macaroni. Yum!