Healthy Yet Simple Dinner ideas thread [Archive]

Tom

01-23-2006, 05:58 PM

One of my favs:

I buy a bag of frozen boneless chicken breasts and bake them in the oven @ 350 for about 14-18 min with a little salt and garlic, then individually wrap them up in Cling Wrap and re-freeze them.

Then you can take a chicken breast out of the freezer and add it to any dish you can think of.

To reheat the chicken, leave in the cling wrap, put on a plate, heat on high for 2 minutes, then flip it over and put it in for another 2 minutes. When it's done, let it sit in the microwave for an extra minute or so, so the heat can even out throughout the chicken and it's ready to eat with a few more seasonings on top with some veggies on the side or chop up and put in a wrap, or whatever.

Here are some things I add my chicken to:

=============================================

I usually keep whole wheat tortillas in the fridge and I usually have some mixed greens in there too.

Just chop up the chicken, add a little light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette on top, and then fill with salad greens. Wrap it up and eat. To help everything from falling out the back or keep the shell from breaking, I like to wrap foil around it and then just tear one inch strips off of the foil and work your way to the bottom of the delicious chicken wrap.

(Another good wrap is just sliced ham and salad with some ranch dressing on top, mmmmmm, lil salt n pepa.)

-------------------------------------------

After heating up the chicken, I like to cut the chicken into a checker board on the top that goes almost all the way through the breast but lets it stay together. Basically, cutting it up into cubes that are attached at the bottom. This makes it easier to take a bite out of the sandwich and gives the chicken a pocket to hold onto some tasty sauce. Then I put a sauce like BBQ, Greek Feta, Honey Mustard or whatever dressing on top of it, build the sandwich like so

Top of bun
sauce
chicken
Greens (spinach is best IMO)
heal of bun

I find that if you put some sort of greens on the heel of the bun, it helps keep the sauce from dripping down and making the bottom bun soggy and messy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Chop up the chicken, add black beans or pinto, some corn, rice, fat free shredded cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, some other stuff and you've got a great burrito. I like to add the fat free sour cream as I eat it, that way it stays cold and the burrito stays hot. Also it doesn't get runny and drip all over your hands.

----------------------------------------------------------

I've got a million more things that I use the chicken for and even use pork and steaks, but I'll add more to this thread when my carpal tunnel cools off from this post.

Wash down with a Becks Light (66 cals) :toast:

Anyone else have some simple recipies? More complex ones would be nice too.

Drzy

01-23-2006, 06:02 PM

Jesus dude, we have very different ideas of "simple."

oedipus rex

01-23-2006, 06:05 PM

yeah, anything that takes more than 10 minutes to prepare is not simple.

SykoChikka

01-23-2006, 06:08 PM

Jesus dude, we have very different ideas of "simple."
I know wt u mean..."simple" means you just have to throw it in the microwave and eat it...I tensed up when he said "after heating up the chicken"... You mean there's more!!!! :yikes:

tommie frazier

01-23-2006, 06:22 PM

and no lud noises, or the soufle will collapse!

annabel lee

01-23-2006, 07:50 PM

I like "breakfast for dinner."

1. Heat 1/2 cup of your favorite egg substitute (equivalent to 2 eggs) + 1 or 2 tablespoons of skim milk or water in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30-40 seconds.
2. If there's any liquid left, stir and heat another 30 seconds. Repeat until there is no liquid left, then proceed to step 3.
3. Add some shredded fat free cheese and salsa. Stir until cheese is melted.
4. Eat.

Frenchie

01-23-2006, 07:52 PM

Here's one I did tonight. MM is very picky about food mixed together but she tore this one up.

1 TBS Veg oil
1.5 c finely chopped onion
0.5 c finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1.5 c finely chopped green pepper
1 can (28 oz) low-salt diced tomatoes
1 can (28 oz) low-salt tomato puree
2 TBS tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestshire sauce
0.5 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp chili powder
0.75 lb med shrimp, shelled and deveined (1.5 lbs for 1600/1800/2000 calorie plans)

In med skillet, heat the veg oil. Add onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until vegs are partially tender.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, Worcestshire sauce, cayenne, and chilli powder. Bring to boil, reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp. Bring to boil, cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until shrimp are done.

(1600/1800/2000 calorie per day serve with 1/2 c brown rice)

1 serving = 2 cups

291 calories
24 g protein
41 g carbs
19 g sugar
5.5 g fat
0.6 g sat fat
129 mg cholesterol
326 mg sodium
10 g fiber
141 mg calcium

I only had 1 cup of the shrimp creole over 1/2 c of rice and I'm absolutely stuffed. This is more than filling and not all that hard. I know it looks like a lot, but I came home, chopped up the veggies in the chopper and threw it all together. The hardest part was shelling the shrimp (:shudder:).

Tom

01-23-2006, 10:20 PM

I'm pretty sure this is as simple as a healthy dinner can get without being a frozen food straight from healthy choice. The simple part is you cook the chicken in the oven on a Sunday night when you're doing nothing anyway. This way you have like 6 or so chicken breasts already cooked, and later that week all you have to do is warm them up in the micorwave and stick them in something. Or just serve it with some rice and veggies.

Here's a real simple one:

Cook one pound of lean ground beef ( you can also use a sirloin steak) in a pan and break it into bite size chunks while it's cooking. Then just pour two cans of steak & country vegetable soup in with it, and wait till it's warm.

Steak and Country Vegetable soup is pretty healthy as is, so this comes out to be a healthy dish with lots of protein. I always do this because the soup companies just don't put enough meat in anything that says it has meat in it, these days.

Cookies n' cream . . . no cookies, hamburger soup . . . . no hamburgers, chili . . . no beef.

Tom

01-23-2006, 10:25 PM

OOoo, here's another:

Cook some Cod or Grouper in a pan with some itialian seasonings and whichever other seasonings you like (me likey spicy), when it's about 2-3 minutes from being done (like 4-5 min), pour one can of diced tomatoes in the pan around it and cover it with raw spinich and cover.

The spinich will wilt and the fish picks up a lot of flavor from the tomatoes.

Then just serve it over rice.

MMMMMMmmmmmm TASTY!

Happy Professional

01-24-2006, 08:07 AM

Grill some fish

Titania

01-24-2006, 08:13 AM

Lately, when I'm feeling lazy...

1 order of tofu from the local Chinese restaurant...either Ma Po or Szechuan (sp?), but no matter what, make sure it's NOT FRIED.

This is key - IMMEDIATELY DISCARD YUMMY FRIED CRISPY NOODLES AND DUCK SAUCE, and maybe rice, too. I usually throw it in a trash can where yucky stuff goes, so I know they'll stay there. Or give them to the dogs.

Microwave a large-ish amount of frozen mixed veggies.

Mix with about 1 cup of tofu and sauce.

Douse with a good amount of Tabasco, unless you're a wimp.

Save the rest of the tofu for another time.

I can get 3 or 4 meals from one order of tofu.

This is best for when the non-tofu-eating SO is having a busy week at work or away on business.

LoneGirl

01-24-2006, 08:24 AM

If I'm short on time, I'll just make myself a big salad. My favorite is a Greek salad - I use the bagged salad from the grocery store, then add about 1/4 of a cucumber sliced, sliced tomato, black olives, ready-to-use grilled chicken strips (I use the pre-cooked packages by Louis Rich), and a small amount of feta cheese. I make my own dressing by combining 1 tbsp of olive oil with 1 tbsp of lemon juice.

I also discovered a good, fat free dessert. Put 1/2 cup - 1 cup of blueberries in a blender and puree. Pour puree into a bowl and fold in about 2 tbsp of fat free Cool Whip. Spoon mixture into a dessert dish and freeze for at least 1 hour. When ready to eat, take out of the freezer and let sit for 5-10 minutes to soften a little, and then top with some fresh blueberries. This dessert will also work with strawberries.

Drzy

01-24-2006, 07:35 PM

annabel lee

01-24-2006, 07:54 PM

OK, here's an easy one, and it makes a LOT. Yes, you have to do a little bit of prep an hour or a day before you want to eat it. If you have time, do the first steps either after dinner one evening, or in the morning before you leave; then when you come home, just pull it out of the fridge, give it 10-15 minutes to get to room temperature, then bake.

3 12-oz pkgs of extra-firm tofu (or, 2-3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1 bottle teriyaki sauce (mine was 20 oz)
1 big can of pineapple chunks (drained)

Prep:

If tofu: Dice the tofu and put it in a baking dish.
If chicken: Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet (or a soup can wrapped in foil) to tenderize. Then put the chicken in a baking dish.

Add about 1/2 the pineapple. Add teriyaki sauce. Cover, marinate (in refrigerator) 1 to 24 hours.

Cook:

Bring to room temperature, preheat oven to 350.

If tofu: Bake 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
If chicken: Bake 60 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Garnish with remaining pineapple chunks.

If you want, serve it with brown rice.

crayolaab

01-24-2006, 08:08 PM

You have GOT to be kidding about this being simple...

How is it not simple?? YOu dump ingredients in a pot and cook.....??

crayolaab

01-24-2006, 08:15 PM

My favourites:

Put some pasta on to cook; I like tricolour rotini for this. Chop up some bell peppers (red, green, yellow - whatever you have) and carrots if you have them, mince some garlic and possibly some onion (i sometimes use it and sometimes don't). Heat olive oil in a large frying pan/wok then add the veggies, garlic and some italian herb seasoning if desired. Cook until the pasta is done, then drain and add the pasta to the veggie mix. Squeeze over the juice from a lemon and add a small handful of grated parmesan cheese (for heaven's sake not the stuff in a green can) or even better, feta. Mix well and enjoy!

While waiting for pasta from box of kraft mac n cheese to cook, put some low-fat turkey kielbasa slices in a frying pan (no oil needed). Cook both pasta & kielbasa until done. Finish making mac n cheese (with 2 T real butter and 1/4 c non-fat milk). Enjoy! (not *really* healthy but better than it could be!)

Chop up potatoes (use new potatoes and you dont have to peel them), carrots and boneless skinless chicken breast. add to a big pot with a can of coconut milk and some curry paste (whatever kind you like). serve with rice.

Drzy

01-25-2006, 09:25 AM

How is it not simple?? YOu dump ingredients in a pot and cook.....??
Whaaaaat? 12 different sets of ingredients, 10 of which have to be measured out? Heating vegetable oil? Adding some things in the beginning but not others? "Partially tender" ? Shelling shrimp? No thanks dude! It does sound good though.

As for yours, as soon as I saw the word "mince" I knew it wasn't for me. I can't make things with these big fancy Emeril words, I gotta stick to Chef Boyardee.

LoneGirl

01-25-2006, 09:31 AM

Whaaaaat? 12 different sets of ingredients, 10 of which have to be measured out? Heating vegetable oil? Adding some things in the beginning but not others? "Partially tender" ? Shelling shrimp? No thanks dude! It does sound good though.

As for yours, as soon as I saw the word "mince" I knew it wasn't for me. I can't make things with these big fancy Emeril words, I gotta stick to Chef Boyardee.

I think I've found the perfect "simple", healthy meal for you - Lean Cuisine frozen dinners. Just pop them in the microwave, press "start", wait 3-5 minutes, and voila! You have a lowfat meal!

E. Blackadder

01-25-2006, 09:36 AM

I dunno if that's ez enough, or fast enough for Drzy. :lol:

A handful of Tostitos Tortilla Chips
Goya mild salsa.

Stick chip in salsa. pull chip out so that salsa stays on chip. Insert in mouth.
Read a page of a cookbook. Repeat.

SykoChikka

01-25-2006, 09:38 AM

I think I've found the perfect "simple", healthy meal for you - Lean Cuisine frozen dinners. Just pop them in the microwave, press "start", wait 3-5 minutes, and voila! You have a lowfat meal!

You're probably right...

My version of simple is taking out a can of tuna, take a few slices of whole wheat bread, put some slices tomatoes, lettuce leaves, cucumber, wtever, add the tuna...done...! I like sandwiches that are stacked high, so I'll probably use like 3 slices of bread...

Another easy thing is mashed potatoes and cheese...but we all agreed that wasn't healthy so that's out the window until i try the new healthy versions on here.

Maine-iac

01-26-2006, 09:45 AM

Grilled breast of boneless skinless chicken. 8 minutes on the Foreman Grill.
Serve with frozen asparagus warmed in the microwave, or a broiled tomato stuffed with low-fat Feta cheese and spices to taste.

-------------------
Salmon filet with similar sides. Poach it in a frying pan, or nuke it (being careful not to overcook).

-----------
Salsa omlette. Two eggs, stuffed with mild salsa and fat-free american. You could use a better cheese, but since the salsa provides most of the flavor, I actualy like the american in this dish for it's nice melting properties.

-------

Spinach and low-fat ricotta omlette

Allie

01-29-2006, 09:43 AM

violaactuary

01-29-2006, 10:07 AM

Frenchie

01-29-2006, 11:32 AM

Frenchie

02-04-2006, 04:47 PM

Quick Mexican Soup

2 cans fat free chicken broth
2 cans Chicken and Rice Soup (low fat, low sodium, if possible)
2 cans diced tomatoes & green chilis (Rotel or other brands)

Put all in a pot and boil. Serve.

I season mine with garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper and cilantro.

Of course, it's best served with crushed doritios, chunks of avocados sour cream but just plain is quite tasty too!

K, got around to making it today (well it's still cooking). I also added 2.5 servings of medium shrimp (1 serving = 10 shrimp). I calculated it all and it comes out to 1000 calories (w/the shrimp) and 12.5g fat. This is for the whole thing. It also turns out to be about 10 cups of soup, so that's about 100 cal and 1.25g fat for a cup serving! Great low cal, low fat meal! (Without the shrimp, take off 275 cal and 5g fat.) Thanks Allie :tup:

Allie

02-04-2006, 07:51 PM

K, got around to making it today (well it's still cooking). I also added 2.5 servings of medium shrimp (1 serving = 10 shrimp). I calculated it all and it comes out to 1000 calories (w/the shrimp) and 12.5g fat. This is for the whole thing. It also turns out to be about 10 cups of soup, so that's about 100 cal and 1.25g fat for a cup serving! Great low cal, low fat meal! (Without the shrimp, take off 275 cal and 5g fat.) Thanks Allie :tup:

I hope you enjoyed it.....and what a great idea to add the shrimp! I'll have to try that next time.

Allie

02-06-2006, 09:14 AM

I made the full fat version for a gathering yesterday, but easily skinnied down:

Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 cups chicken cut up, shredded, whatever -- use canned if you want)
3/4 c. hot sauce (like Texas Pete)
heat together
Add 2 8 ounce blocks of creme cheese and 1 cup of ranch dressing
heat until all melted and gooey.

Serve warm II put it in the crock pot) as a dip with crackers or celery.

I'm thinking about using the creme cheese/ranch combo as a sauce for a chicken breast for something different sometime. Full fat creme cheese (at least what I used yesterday) is 90 cal per ounce -- and that would be more than needed to make an adequate sauce.

LoneGirl

02-06-2006, 09:27 AM

I tried a new, easy recipe this weekend (again, courtesy of the Rachel Ray cookbook with some slight variation): Winter Vegetable Stew. It was pretty tasty!

2 servings

1/2 pound crimini or baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced and chopped into large bite size pieces
14 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes
cumin (to taste)

In a soup pot, saute the mushrooms in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and zucchini and continue sauteing for about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beans, season with the cumin, and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

SykoChikka

02-06-2006, 10:03 AM

When you try the Rachel ray stuff, do you usually do it in under 30 minutes?

LoneGirl

02-06-2006, 10:07 AM

When you try the Rachel ray stuff, do you usually do it in under 30 minutes?

About 50% of the time......
For example, this stew easily takes less than 30 minutes. However, there are several recipes of hers that take me more than 30 minutes, mainly because I'm not so proficient at multi-tasking in the kitchen. I like to focus on one thing at a time, rather than trying to prepare 3 things at once. Also, alot of the recipes would take 30 minutes or less if you already had your veggies peeled, cut up, etc. The chopping and slicing takes me the longest when I'm cooking - mostly because I'm scared if I go to fast I'll cut off a finger!

Frenchie

02-06-2006, 10:10 AM

I tried a new, easy recipe this weekend (again, courtesy of the Rachel Ray cookbook with some slight variation): Winter Vegetable Stew. It was pretty tasty!

Oooh...I totally forgot that I got a Rachel Ray cookbook from Seph for Christmas...time to put it to the test!

SykoChikka

02-06-2006, 10:14 AM

Oooh...I totally forgot that I got a Rachel Ray cookbook from Seph for Christmas...time to put it to the test!

I totally forgot Rachel Ray had a cookbook...Maybe I should buy one...not that I'd ever cook or anything...

LoneGirl

02-06-2006, 10:21 AM

Oooh...I totally forgot that I got a Rachel Ray cookbook from Seph for Christmas...time to put it to the test!

I have her very first one, and her second one. They both have some great stuff in them. I think I've only found one or two things that I ended up not liking. Plus, there are alot of recipes that are very diet friendly - lots of veggies, very few fried things, and I think you can easily make substitutions for some of the less healthy things.

Maine-iac

02-06-2006, 10:22 AM

I totally forgot Rachel Ray had a cookbook...Maybe I should buy one...not that I'd ever cook or anything...

If your mom is doing the cooking, get one for her! :)

SykoChikka

02-06-2006, 10:25 AM

If your mom is doing the cooking, get one for her! :)

LOL I almost typed that in that post, but then I was like naah it'll make me look even lazier if I say that

LoneGirl

02-24-2006, 09:21 PM

I experimented in the kitchen this evening and came up with a pretty tasty new meal idea. It's sort of a variation on the grilled chicken parmesan I like to make. It's sort of a Mexican/Southwest version. One serving is about 270 calories. For one serving you need:

1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
chicken breast
1/4 cup lowfat shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese (I prefer the lowfat to the fat free because I think it melts better)

Put the tomatoes and beans in a pot and heat until warm. Meanwhile, grill your chicken breast on the George Foreman grill. When the chicken is done, put it in a casserole dish and cover with the tomato/bean mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and stick in a warm over for about 2 minutes (just until the cheese melts).

I thought it made a really good dinner, along with a salad.

Frenchie

03-07-2006, 07:29 PM

Got this out of MM's Emeril cookbook (same source for the mac & cheese). This was quick and easy to get going. And, it's about 100 cal for a cup (I used 99% fat free ground turkey and splenda - the sugar is negligible anyways).

1 TBS Veg Oil
1.5 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
2 c chopped yellow onion
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS chili powder
2 tsp Baby Bam (which I guess is the same as his reg seasoning, it just came with the cookbook and pot set grandma bought MM)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
0.25 tsp black pepper
1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
3 TBS tomato paste
1 tsp sugar (or splenda)
2 c water

Heat oil, add meat and brown. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, Baby Bam, salt, cumin and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes (until soft). Break whole tomatoes into pieces and add to pot. Add tomato paste, sugar and water. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 min.

DELICIOUS!!!

LoneGirl

03-07-2006, 08:44 PM

Hold on - are you saying MM cooks Emeril dishes??? If so, I'm awfully impressed that a child can cook like Emeril.

MrsFrog

03-07-2006, 11:26 PM

Hold on - are you saying MM cooks Emeril dishes??? If so, I'm awfully impressed that a child can cook like Emeril.

I think she's using Emril's family cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060004398/qid=1141791921/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-4384497-8724836?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Frenchie

03-08-2006, 08:39 AM

I think she's using Emril's family cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060004398/qid=1141791921/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-4384497-8724836?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Close....this one (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688177069/qid=1141825128/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2543522-1640023?s=books&v=glance&n=283155)

LoneGirl

03-08-2006, 09:02 AM

Wow, I didn't know Emeril made a cookbook for kids!

Pseudolus

05-03-2006, 12:58 PM

Made this last night. Quick, simple, healthy, tasty.

Pork Chops with Ginger-Cherry Sauce
From Cooking Light

Use any variety of fruit preserves if you don't have cherry on hand. Serve with egg noodles tossed with chopped fresh parsley.

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
4 (4-ounce) center-cut boneless pork chops, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cherry preserves
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side; remove pork from pan.

Combine preserves and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add preserves mixture to pan; reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Return pork to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 2 tablespoons sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 275(26% from fat); FAT 7.8g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.4g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 23.5g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 19mg; SODIUM 453mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.8g
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1185416

Served with couscous "pilaf" (added some frozen peas to the pilaf water, then stirred some pine nuts into the finished product) and roasted carrots. I chose the "Trappist" brand of cherry preserves, as it had actual cherry halves in it, while the others in my supermarket looked more like a smooth cherry jelly.

Maine-iac

05-03-2006, 01:17 PM

Trappist is definitely my first choice in cherry jams, but when the store is out of that, "Bonne Maman" is also good, and also uses chunks of fruit.

IMP

05-23-2006, 09:14 PM

best salad ever:

spinach leaves, crushed almonds, cranraisins, onion, tomato, green pepper, portobello mushrooms, broco slaw (shredded brocoli, cabbage and carrot), warm chicken. lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and light walnut raspberry vinegrette

E. Blackadder

05-23-2006, 10:38 PM

sliced Vidalia onions ; Tomatoes (ugliripe or homegrown, if possible); pickling cucumbers; rough sliced raddishes, celery, carrots; parmesian and romano; raddicio, and homemade blue cheese dressing. Topped with croutons.

If you're counting calories, omit the croutons.

IMP

05-23-2006, 11:36 PM

ok, i know this sounds weird, but it is very good:

onion and watermelon salad.

Maine-iac

05-24-2006, 08:28 AM

It does sound weird, but strangely interesting . . . :D

SykoChikka

06-02-2006, 06:43 PM

Anybody have a recipe for low-fat or low-cal banana walnut muffins? I love em to bits and it would be nice to make healthy ones at home....

Maine-iac

06-03-2006, 05:27 PM

These are low fat. If you substitute Splenda for the sugar, they'd probably be low cal as well, at least to some extent.

(edit. Looked it up. Two cups sugar = 1548 cals. Over 24 muffins, that's 64.5 cals per muffin. So using Splenda, 126.5 cals per muffin vs. the 191 with sugar)

-----
Low Fat Banana Walnut Muffins
24 servings

2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup prune, pureed, or use baby food prunes
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups bananas, mashed
1/2 cup banana, diced
5 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 walnuts, finely chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt, set aside. With a mixer, blend together 1 3/4 cups of the sugar, prune puree, yogurt, oil and vanilla. Fold in mashed and diced bananas. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites, and cream of tartar until whites are foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until whites form soft peaks. About 4 minutes. Gently fold whites into banana mixture, then fold in flour mixture until just blended. Don't overmix or muffins will be tough. Line muffin pans with liners. Fill to top; evenly distribute walnuts over tops. Bake in 350 until muffins are just firm to the touch and edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving: Calories 191 - Calories from Fat 13
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 7%, Protein 7%, Carbohydrate 86%
Totals and Percent Daily Values (2000 calories): Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 226mg, Total Carbohydrate 41g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g, Protein 3g, Vitamin A 86 units, Vitamin C 2 units, Calcium 0 units, Iron 0 units

Gal Friday

06-12-2006, 04:25 PM

Even better, use whole wheat flour in place of up to 1/2 of the all purpose flour. King Arthur makes a great white whole wheat flour that doesn't give that heaviness and wheaty flavor that regular whole wheat flour gives. (Regular is fine for whole wheat bread, but sometimes I want baked goods that have the nutritional benefits of whole wheat w/out the extreme changes to flavor and texture.) Same calories, but more fiber, so more filling and better for you!

LoneGirl

07-24-2006, 07:05 PM

I tried two new really simple recipes this weekend that are pretty healthy. They both use ham (just the pre-packaged stuff from the lunchmeat aisle) but if you don't eat ham I'm sure turkey would work just as well.

#1) Ham and Swiss Stuffed Potatoes
Carbo-phobes may not like this, but with a salad it is a very filling meal. I didn't get the urge to snack all evening.

Bake a potato (about 10 minutes in the microwave). Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add the following to the potato in the bowl: a serving of ham (whatever the package calls a serving) sliced into small strips, 1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese, 1/8 cup skim milk, just a small pat of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash the mixture together but it should still be pretty lumpy. Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins and stick back in the microwave. Heat for 45 seconds - 1 minute (just long enough to warm the potato back up). (If you want to get fancier, you can stick the potatoes under a broiler and brown them on top instead of putting them back in the microwave to heat up)

#2) Ham & Pineapple Slaw Wraps

In a bowl, combine the following: a serving of ham sliced into thin strips, a serving of diced canned pineapple, and about a cup of cole slaw mix (you can usually find this at the grocery store with the pre-packaged salads). In another bowl, combine the following dressing ingredients: 2 Tbs lowfat sour cream, 1/2 Tbs vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together and pour onto the slaw/ham/pineapple mixture. Toss to combine well. Wrap the slaw in tortillas to serve (this made enough to fill about 2 medium sized tortillas).

yanz

07-24-2006, 07:16 PM

I think I've found the perfect "simple", healthy meal for you - Lean Cuisine frozen dinners. Just pop them in the microwave, press "start", wait 3-5 minutes, and voila! You have a lowfat meal!
not neccessarily Lean Cuisine, but frozen dinners are totally my religion.
I pick and choose the tastier/healthies/organic ones. You have to make sure there isn't some ridiculous amount of fat in that little box. Other than that, it's totally the way to go since you're only going to eat the one box you make, as opposed to a whole frying pan full of stuff (how likely are you to only cook one serving if you're really cooking?).

However, when I did cook, I would either make a box of cous cous, a box of stuffing, some pasta (whole grain gives a bit of a different taste), or some barley, and while it cooked in a pot, I would chop up some veggies and throw them in a pan with some olive oil. Serve the veggies over the carb or mix the two together. Both versions were good, and only took about 15 mins to make since you do the two parts simultaneously.

Nowadays, the extent of my cooking is making a fruit smoothie.

LoneGirl

07-24-2006, 07:29 PM

not neccessarily Lean Cuisine, but frozen dinners are totally my religion.
I pick and choose the tastier/healthies/organic ones. You have to make sure there isn't some ridiculous amount of fat in that little box. Other than that, it's totally the way to go since you're only going to eat the one box you make, as opposed to a whole frying pan full of stuff (how likely are you to only cook one serving if you're really cooking?).

I really like Amy's Organic Enchilada dinner. It's only about 320 calories, and I think it tastes far superior to other frozen enchilada meals. The rice and beans aren't soggy like in other brands. I also really enjoy Amy's Vegetable Lasagna. Neither meal is as lowfat as some other brands, but they still only have about 9-12 grams of fat which is totally reasonable for an entire meal.

Pseudolus

07-24-2006, 08:51 PM

I made these (http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1206215) tonight. I've cooked fish maybe three times in my life before this, so I was a little nervous about how it would come out, but everything turned out to be very easy. I had to cook the filets in two batches, but, other than that, nary a snag. Quite tasty, too. The lime in the slaw gave it some nice zing. I did it as written except: a) subbing in flour tortillas for corn, since I just like them better, and 2) adding a little chipotle chili pepper in to the spice rub.

Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

4 cups very thinly presliced green cabbage
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon chili powder
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with chili powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat, and cut fish into bite-sized pieces.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/4 cup cabbage mixture down the center of each tortilla. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; fold in half. Serve tacos with remaining cabbage mixture.

(Can we take the "fish taco" jokes as done? Please? Maybe? Just this once?)

yanz

07-25-2006, 04:43 PM

I really like Amy's Organic Enchilada dinner. It's only about 320 calories, and I think it tastes far superior to other frozen enchilada meals. The rice and beans aren't soggy like in other brands. I also really enjoy Amy's Vegetable Lasagna. Neither meal is as lowfat as some other brands, but they still only have about 9-12 grams of fat which is totally reasonable for an entire meal.
I like Amy's a lot :)

LoneGirl

07-31-2006, 06:34 PM

I tried this salad tonight and it was really tasty and simple!

For one serving, toss together the following ingredients:

2 cups spinach
1/2 granny smith apple, cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 pear, cut into bit sized chunks (I used canned pears)
4 or 5 strawberries, sliced
1 TBSP chopped almonds or pecans
1 TBSP crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/4 TBSP dijon mustard
pinch of sugar

Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

This makes a really good light meal or side dish. If you want something a little more substantial, I bet it'd be good with some grilled chicken tossed in.