Fatty Cake Recipes

Cucumber Cracker Snackers

2011-04-05T15:26:00.006-04:00

These are a great cheese & cracker substitute. I came up with this idea today while scrounging around for some kind of snack that was ultra light, but gave me a lot of volume! I think these would also make great munchies for a get together or shower. And it took all of five minutes to put together. The blue cheese offers big flavor, which makes this snack very satisfying.

1 Cucumber

1 Tbs Crumbled Blue Cheese

2 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges, Original Swiss Flavor

1 Tbs Light Sour Cream

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Slice cucumber in "cracker" like slices. Mix blue cheese, cheese wedges and sour cream in a small bowl, then place in a small baggie. Cut end off of baggie and squirt onto "crackers". Top crackers with 1 small crumble (or very thin slice) of blue cheese and cracked pepper.

Nutrition info:

Serves 2 (very well)

85 Calories 5g Protein 7g Carbs 4g Fat

Potsticker Soup

2011-02-28T12:02:00.006-05:00

My first try at inventing a successful recipe. I don't know how much inventing actually goes into a rather simple soup, but here it is. I looked at several different recipes and did a combination of what sounded the best, left out things that sounded kinda gross (vinegar? Bok Choy?) and came up with this simple and tasty (not to mention uber fast) asian style soup! Hope you like you it too!

Potsticker Soup

Serves 2

Total Time: 10 min

32oz Chicken Broth

1tbs Soy Sauce

1tbs Toasted Sesame Oil

1c Asian Style Veggies (frozen; Carrots, Green Beans, Mushrooms, Onions)

1 clove Garlic, minced

14 Potstickers (I love Trader Joe's Chicken)

1 Green Onion, chopped

Put it all in a pot (excluding green onion) and bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 2-3 min. Garnish with green onions.

You can use any type of veggie and as much as you want. Pork potstickers are good too. Reduced sodium broth and soy sauce is always a better option.

Nutrition Info

Serving is 7 potstickers and half of the broth (little more than 2c)

329 Cals

13.5g Fat, 37.2g Carb, 12.6g Protein

On-The-Go Breakfast Cookies

2011-02-09T10:16:00.004-05:00

Another divine recipe from the 1,500 Calorie-A-Day-Menu Cookbook by Nancy S. Hughes (p. 32).

The nutrition info in the book is very different from what I figured using my calorie counting program (the BodyBugg one). The nutrition info here is the info that I figured, not what the book said.

These cookies are super good! They were fast and easy to make (under a half hour) and quite large. They tasted even better the next day. You can also use Go Lean Crisp (adds 25 cals per cookie) or the Crunch with Honey versions. Almonds or pecans and chocolate chips would be sinfully delish, and you can change out the dried fruit. Craisins were good. I also added 1/4c of Wheat Germ to up the nutritional value, and I used 2 eggs instead of wasting the yolks.

Ingredients

4c Kashi Go Lean Crunch! (or other high-fiber, high-protein cereal)
1/2c Quick-cooking Oats
1/2c Packed Dark Brown Sugar (I used light and it was fine)
3/4tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Cinnamon
1/4c Canola Oil
1 Large Egg and 2 Egg Whites
2/3c Dried Cherries

Directions:
Process dry ingredients in a food processor until it forms a crumb texture (I'm doubting this is a must, you could probably just mix it all and bake them). Add in oil and eggs, process. Remove blade, mix in dried fruit (and nuts or chocolate chips if you'd like).
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
Spoon batter in just shy of 1/4c mounds, 1" apart (they don't really spread) and press down.
Bake at 350* for 12 minutes.
The cookies will not look done, but they are. They'll continue to set up. Pull foil off of pan and place on counter to cool for 7 minutes, then enjoy.
Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.

Excellent source of Fiber & Calcium and a good source of Vitamins A & C. Adding wheat germ ups these, and adds Folic Acid.

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size - 1 cookie
163 Calories 5g Protein 24g Carbs 6g Fat

Steamer (Steamed Flavored Milk)

2011-01-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

I used to get these at a local coffee shop all of the time. The warm creaminess is satisfying deep down, like hot cocoa. I prefer Almond Syrup in mine, but there are tons of different syrups on the market (like Torani or your local coffee shop). They can be found at most larger stores (Meijer, Kroger, Walk-Mart) in the coffee aisle. I prefer ones that are NOT sugar free, I'm not into fake sugar. There are only 35 calories per tablespoon of the syrup making it one of those things that you can indulge in frequently.

1tbs Flavored Syrup (like Almond)

8oz Skim Milk

Combine the milk and syrup and then heat (I just nuke it) and enjoy. You can also sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, or cocoa powder, etc.

Serves 1

Nutrition

Cals: 121

Fat: 0

Carbs: 22

Protein: 8

Ham and Potato Soup

2010-11-08T13:19:00.001-05:00

Ham and Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced
potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or
black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

1860 cals for the whole pot
4 servings
465 cals each

Beer-Battered Fish Fry

2010-03-19T11:09:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe from Cooking Light (November 2009). You can find the original post here. For some reason it got bad reviews. I LOVED IT though, the fish anyhow. The chips stuck to the pan and never did seem like fries. So, I'll use frozen fries in the future. But the key is to get the oil up to temp before putting in the fish. The batter is a bit runny and kind of falls of off the fish, but for a lite fish fry recipe I was thrilled with the results. I had lots of left over batter and made onion rings too! It was great and I highly recommend trying it. I also didn't have a problem finding the specified beer at a liquor shop.

Beer-Battered Fish Fry

Use Alaskan cod in this dish. Serve with malt vinegar.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 4 ounces fish and about 1/2 cup chips)

Ingredients
The 5 ingredients:
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup dark beer (such as Negra Modelo), divided
1 pound baking potatoes, cut into (1/4-inch) strips
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
3.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Combine fish and 1/4 cup beer in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Place potatoes on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp, stirring after 10 minutes. Drain fish; discard liquid. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine remaining 3/4 cup beer, flour, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl. Add fish to beer mixture, tossing gently to coat. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from bowl, shaking off excess batter. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn fish over; cook 3 minutes or until done. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with chips.

Nutritional Information
Calories:398
Fat:15g (sat 1.1g,mono 8.4g,poly 4.6g)
Protein:24.6g
Carbohydrate:40.7g
Fiber:2.2g
Cholesterol:40mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:524mg
Calcium:30mg

Hearty Pineapple Pizza

2010-03-04T20:21:00.003-05:00

*This recipe is from "Better Homes and Gardens Eat Well, Lose Weight cookbook

Ingredients:
1 8oz can pizza sauce
1 12 inch whole wheat, thin Italian bread shell (such as Boboli brand)
1 large sweet green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced quartered red onion
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 of a 3 1/2 ounce package pizza style Canadian bacon
3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 450*. Spread pizza sauce on bread shell. Top with sweet pepper, red onion, pineapple, and Canadian style bacon. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place pizza on a large baking pan.

2. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and pizza is heated through.

Makes 4 servings

Note: I am not a fan of onions at all, and don't like green peppers on my Hawaiian pizza. So needless to say, mine was only pineapple, bacon, sauce and cheese. It was still great though. Super easy to throw together, and felt like a treat! 2 slices and a salad was plenty, and tasted great. If you ever need a quick meal, or are not in the mood for a lot of fuss, this is an easy choice!

Green Pea Salad

2010-02-12T10:55:00.002-05:00

This is another great recipe from Nancy S. Hughes and The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook.

I love this. I've eaten this countless times. Today I added chopped up baby carrots (raw) for an extra boost of veggies. I also don't worry about slicing and making everything pretty. I just throw it in my mini chopper. I usually like to eat this as a main course, though the book designed it as a side dish. Sometimes I add bits of cheese to give it more volume if its a meal. It's super easy and fast to make, but needs an hour to chill. Trust me, you NEED that hour. It does well the next day also, but gets a little liquid in the bottom.

Green Pea Salad

1/2 cup FF Mircale Whip (I prefer Lite)

1/3 cup Finely chopped Yellow Onion

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Pepper

24 small Green Olives stuffed with Pimentos, sliced

2 10oz packages Frozen Green Peas, steam cooked (I use 1 16oz pk and its fine)

Combine everything except peas and blend thouroughly. Add steamed peas. Toss gently, but coat. Chill for 1 hour.

155 Cals, 2.8g fat

Red Bean Stew

2010-01-28T13:25:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:
2 tsp Canola Oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can veggie broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp snipped fresh oregano, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1 15-16 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

1. In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion in tender. Add veggie broth, tomato paste, dried oregano (if using), and adobo sauce. Stir in kidney beans. Mash mixture slightly with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and fresh oregano (if using).

2. Serve stew with rice. If desired, serve with lime wedges.

Makes four servings
Prep to finish: 25 minutes

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 246
Fat: 4g (0 sat. fat)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Protein: 11g
Carb: 48g
Fiber: 9g
Sodium: 641mg

Note: This was a great, filling soup! I was actually full the entire evening! My girls don't like things too spicy, so I left out the adobo sauce. I also used beef broth instead of Veggie broth. I only added fresh oregano. It was lacking spice for sure. It reminded me a lot of chili, I think chili seasoning would be delish in this! Overall, this was a great low calorie dinner, packed with fiber and protein! We will definitely be making it again in our house!

Chicken Penne Alfredo

2010-01-26T18:39:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
6 ounces whole wheat Penne pasta
2 cups packaged peeled baby carrots
3 cups broccoli florets
1 9 ounce package frozen grilled chicken breast strips, thawed
1/2 to 1 cup fat free milk
1/2 of an 8 ounce tub light cream cheese spread
1/2 tsp cracked pepper

1. In a 4 qt. dutch oven cook pasta and carrots according to pasta package directions; add broccoli for the last 6 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and vegetables; return to dutch oven.

2. Stir chicken strips, cream cheese spread, 1/2 cup milk, and pepper into pasta mixture. Cook and stir over low heat until cream cheese is melted. If necessary, stir in enough of the remaining 1/2 cup milk to make sauce desired consistency. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with additional pepper. Makes 4 (2 cup) servings.

Nutrition info:
Calories - 354
Fat - 8g (4g sat fat)
Cholesterol - 59
Protein - 30g
Carb - 43g
Fiber - 7g
Sodium - 627 mg

Note - I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a smashing success, even with the girls! (all but the cooked carrots, but they did eat one!) I didn't need the extra milk. I will definitely be making again! The cream cheese added a great saucy flavor, where has this idea been hiding? Fabulous!

Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

2010-01-26T14:25:00.003-05:00

Another wonderful meal from Nancy S. Hughes and her great 1,500 Calories-a-Day-Menu Cookbook!

I invited friends over and made this for lunch, and it was super fun. It was also fast and easy to make and I think everyone liked it, even the munchkins. The book suggest serving it with Scallioned Soup, Sesame Seed Rice Crackers (wha??) and Dried Apricots. I served it with Mandarin Oranges. I put everything on the table and let everyone assemble their own. I omitted the pepper flakes because of the kids and after my first flake free wrap decided to put them on my own wraps, which really made the wraps a lot more complete and ever so tasty. My first impression was that they were bland, but the flakes added a great deal. I also omitted the red peppers, and I'm sure that would have added a ton of additional flavor. I also forgot to toast the almonds, so I'm sure that would have been even better!! The more I ate the more I really enjoyed and later found myself smacking my lips and thinking it was a quite wonderful little meal! Fun too! And food should be fun!! Especially when you're trying to eat healthy! Ugh!

*Hoisin Sauce is a sweet dark thick sauce that comes in a small jelly like jar in the Asian food section, by the Soy Sauce.

** Slivered Almonds should be used as opposed to any other cut.

Chicken-Almond Hoisin Wraps

3 tbs Hoisin Sauce
1/2 tsp Grated Orange Rind
1/3 c Orange Juice
1/8 tsp Dried Pepper Flakes
3 c Shredded Coleslaw Mix w/ Carrots (by the lettuce)
1 med Red Bell Pepper, Chopped (1c)
1 c Cooked Diced Chicken Breast (5oz, I used Rotisserie)
3/4 c Slivered Almonds, toasted (3oz)
12 Boston or Bibb green-leaf Lettuce Leaves (1 head)

Mix together Hoisin, orange rind, juice and pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine everything else and drizzle sauce over the top and stir to combine.
Divide chicken mixture onto the 12 lettuce leaves.

Cals 240
Fat 12g
Protein 17g
Carbs 18g

***Scallioned Soup: 3c red-sodium Chicken Broth heated and mixed with 4 med green onions, chopped (1/2c) and 1tsp light soy sauce.

Super Simple Beef Stew

2010-01-10T18:55:00.003-05:00

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 9 hours (low) or 4 to 41/2 hours high;plus 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Pds boneless beef chuck roast
12 Oz tiny new potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup lower sodium beef broth
1 tsp dried marjoram or died thyme, crushed
2 cups loose pack frozen green beans (9 oz)

1. Trim the fat from beef; cut beef into 1 inch cubes. Coat an unheated large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef cubes. Cood and stir until browned; remove from skillet. Add remaining beef cubes; cook and stir until browned. Drain fat off of beef.

2. Place beef in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and marjoram. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in green beans. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or just until green beans are tender. Makes about 6 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Nutrition facts:
Calories - 317
Fat - 9g
Cholesterol - 92 mg
Protein - 35g
Carb. - 22g
fiber - 4g
Sodium - 396 mg

Note: I didn't have any beef broth and used 1 Cup of water instead. It was much more "watery" than I liked at the end of cooking, so when I added the green beans for the last half an hour, I also added a 2nd can of cream of mushroom soup. It made it a lot creamier. Also, I'm sure added a lot more calories! But 1 can of soup, spread out over 6 servings, isn't that bad. Anyway, next time I will be sure to have beef broth on hand! The entire family loved this!!!

Fruit Crumble

2009-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't like pie for breakfast?? This is pretty darn close to eating pie. I stole the Crumble Topping recipe from EatingWell.com. It's the same one I use on the Blueberry Crumble I love to make! I made this one with Apples, but a Pear, or better yet an Asia Pear would be awesome too!

Serves 2

1 Huge HoneyCrisp Apple, chopped
1 tbs Honey
2 tbs WW Flour
2 ts Butter
1 tbs chopped Almonds
2 tbs Raisins (or Craisins)
1/4c Cider or Apple Juice (or a glob of concentrate)
Apple Pie Spice
1/2 c Crumble Topping

Throw it in a sauce pan (minus the crumble) and cook it for a bit till the apples are fork tender. Then sprinkle the crumble topping on top and bake at 350 till the top is golden.

Cals 366, Fat 16g, Protein 4g, Carbs 58g

I served this with Vanilla Yogurt for breakfast. This would also go great with ice cream, or as a dessert. Nothing in this recipe is exact, I just threw it together and loved the results. Play with it and make it your own. This works great with berries too.

Homemade Pita Chips

2009-09-09T15:47:00.003-04:00

I love making pita chips! They taste so much better than the store bought ones and it makes me feel like I am still eating chips! I like using Greek Style Pita's. They're thicker and so they have more calories, but they are just so darn good. I use whole wheat ones for the healthiest version. The pita you choose will be the determining factor for calorie intake since they vary so widely.

Greek 100% Whole Wheat Pita

Spray Oil (or Cooking Spray)

Coarse Kosher Salt

Herbs & Spices

Spray one side of the pita with oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle, very sparsely, the kosher salt all over the pita. Then sprinkle the pita with your desired herb or spice. Turn it over and repeat (if you want, I like the taste better when its on both sides). Cut the pita into "chips" or use a cookie cutter for fun shapes. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-7 minutes on each side (depending on how crispy you want them). Keep an eye on them the second half as they can burn fast.

I have also butterflied the pita. Cutting the pita thickness in half. These make very light, fragile chips. Keep the pita whole for heartier dipping chips. If you butterfly the pita you don't need to cook them as long.

I like flavor combo's like Salt and Garlic Powder, Salt, Salt and Dill, Cinnamon and Sugar, Cajun, Salt and Lime (instead of cooking spread, rub with a lime wedge and then sprinkle with salt or cumin), Pizza (salt, garlic, Italian seasoning). I'd love to hear your flavor combo's. I heard about dry ranch mix too!

Baked Chicken Fingers

2009-09-08T15:36:00.002-04:00

** Since my girls would normally whine about "weird foods" as a breading on thier nugs, I first crushed the almonds and the oats. That made them blend in well with the bread crumbs.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil Spray (or your choice)
1 1/2 pds chicken breast (I used 2 breasts for my girls)
1/2 C Skim milk
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4C Sliced Almonds
1/4 C Rolled Oats
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil.Trim any fat from chicken and cut into strips (approx. 6-8 per breast).

Stir milk and mustard together in a bowl. In a separate container mix together almonds, oats, bread crumbs, parsley, and black pepper. One at a time, dip chicken into milk mixture then dredge them in oatmeal mixture, making sure each piece is evenly coated.

Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is cooked through and coating is golden brown. Nutritional Information: Calories: 250, Fat: 8 g., Carbs: 7 g., Protein: 37 g.

Clean Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

This is something I found online, and baked this past weekend. They were really good for a weird cookie! :) I didn't find "sucanat" sugar while I was out, so I just used my organic cane sugar. I also didn't order $6.00 grain chocolate chips online (can you believe that?!?) So I guess my chocolate chips weren't up to snuff. ;) But I still felt these were pretty healthy considering!

Also, they have 115 calories each

Ingredients:

1 cup spelt flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*

In a large bowl combine spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, Sucanat and salt. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, molasses, vanilla extract and canola oil until well combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix JUST until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Place teaspoonfuls of batter on cookie sheets and bake for 10-11 minutes.

Makes 12 cookies

*I found they were better chewy! Don't overbake!

Corncakes with Maple-Yogurt Topping

2009-09-03T11:43:00.004-04:00

Picture credit goes to Heather! :)

From EatingWell.com
See the original recipe here.

Made from stone-ground cornmeal, these pancakes are light and crunchy. Make the pancakes immediately; this batter does not hold.

6 servings, 2 pancakes each
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups nonfat milk
1/4 cup low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola or corn oil
4 large egg whites

Topping
8 ounces (1 cup) low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup

Preparation
1.To make corncakes: Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Mix together milk, 1/4 cup yogurt and oil in a medium bowl and stir into the dry ingredients mixture until blended. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into batter.

2.Fry pancakes in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat until brown and puffed, about 5 minutes on each side.

3.To make topping: Combine 8 ounces yogurt and maple syrup in a small bowl and spoon over pancakes.

Nutrition
Per serving : 272 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 4 mg Cholesterol; 45 g Carbohydrates; 11 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 384 mg Sodium; 311 mg Potassium;
3 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Notes: I prefer using Vanilla Yogurt in the cakes and in the sauce. I also prefer adding a touch more sugar to the cakes, though they are delicious with out. Topping with fruit is a wonderful addition. I also use this sauce (3 parts yogurt to 2 parts syrup) on all of my pancakes and waffles these days. I feel like this sauce is far superior to plain syrup and I may never go back!

Ham and Turkey Rollups

2009-07-08T13:19:00.002-04:00

These are awesome! Tastes like your eating at a deli!

The recipe comes from Weight Watcher's 5 ingredient, 15 minute recipe book.

1/2 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper
1 - (4 oz) tub light garlic and herbs spreadable cheese (such as Alouette)
6 - 8 inch tortillas
3 cups baby spinach leaves
6 oz thinly sliced ham
6 oz thinly sliced turkey

1. Pat peppers dry with paper towels
2. Combine peppers and cheese in a small bowl, stirring until blended.
3. Spread cheese mixture evenly over tortillas. Arrange 1/2 cup spinach on each tortilla. Top each with ham and turkey. Roll up wraps, cut in half.

Yield: 6 servings (2 halves each)

Note: wrap in parchment paper to keep together!

Cals: 256, fat 7, protien 17, carb 29, fiber .3, chol 35, iron 2.5

Rustic Breakfast Roll-Ups

2009-06-24T09:45:00.004-04:00

2/3c Picante Sauce
2tsp EVOO
1c FF Refried Beans
8 Soft Corn Tortilla (Taco Size)
1/2tsp Cumin
8 (.75oz) RF String Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl combine EVOO and Picante Sauce, set aside.
Coat a Large, foil lined baking pan with Cooking Spray.
Using a fork, spread the beans evenly over each tortilla.
Sprinkle with cumin, top with cheese, roll loosely, and place seam side down in a baking pan.
Spoon 1/2 of the picante-oil mixture evenly over all and bake, uncovered, 18-20 minutes or until cheese melts. Spoon remaining picante-oil mixture over all.

Serves 4 (2 roll ups each)

Notes: The tortilla's may split, which is normal. I added Cilantro and it was very tasty.

300 cals
9g fat
18g protien
37g carbs
7g fiber

This recipe was taken from Nancy S. Hughes 1500-Calories-a-Day-Menu Cookbook, page 21.

Orange Fresher

2009-05-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

Makes 4 servings
about 3/4 C each
70 Calories

1 1/3 C Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 C White Grape Juice
1 C Diet 7-Up
Ice

Mix juices together in a small pitcher. When ready to serve, add soda and stir gently. Pour even amounts over ice into each of four glasses. Serve immediately.

This recipe is from Nancy S. Hughes's 1200-Calorie-a-Day-Menu Cookbook

Heather's notes:
I used Simply Orange Juice, I'm not about to squeeze juice, though I'm sure it taste even better. This is a sipping juice, so 3/4 C is really enough. It reminds me of a Shower type punch and was super delicious. I think it would be fun served over frozen Strawberries instead of ice. I started with all chilled liquids so the ice wouldn't melt and water it down. I also think this would be even better in a nice wine glass.

Juice Spritzer

2009-05-27T13:26:00.003-04:00

equal parts of White Grape Juice and Club Soda

frozen berries

Pour equal amounts of juice and soda into a glass or pitcher and use the frozen berries as ice. Everyone I know who has tried this loves it. We even served it at my SIL's bridal shower last summer and ran out!! My brother is using it in his wedding as an alcohol free alternative. It's very bubbly, like sparkling juice. Club Soda is calorie free, so you actually only get half as many calories from the juice as you would with an undiluted serving. Like and bubbly, the bubbles don't last overnight. You can buy individual bottles of soda and juice, but the cost is a lot higher. A bottle of soda is like a buck, and juice lasts a while in the fridge. Anyhow, this is also a nice alternative to soda. I drank a lot of this while pregnant with my daughter too. I got the benefit of the juice, and the feeling of bubbly. I like frozen strawberries the best. Whole ones. They stay frozen longer. I also start with chilled liquids. Try it, trust me...you'll love it!

This came out of a diet book years ago that my Step mother owns. I do not know the title of the book or the recipe, or who's it is. Sorry.

Pear & Grape Salad with Creamy Orange Dressing

2009-05-20T12:57:00.004-04:00

Serves 4

1/4 C Orange Juice Concentrate, Thawed

1 tsp Honey

3 tbsp FF Sour Cream

4 Lettuce Leaves

2 Pears, chopped or sliced thin

1 C Seedless Grapes (halved)

Mix juice, honey and sour cream in a small bowl till blended. Chill until ready to serve.

Place one lettuce leaf on each place, arrange 1/4 of the fruit on each leaf, spoon a 1/4 of the dressing over fruit. Serve Immediately.

106 Cals

0.5g Fat

This recipe comes from the book 1200-calorie-a-day-menu Cookbook by Nancy S. Hughes.

Heather's Notes: I don't like FF sour cream, so I used LF. I also didn't bother with the lettuce that I wasn't going to eat, nor did I make anything pretty. I put the fruit in a bowl, lobbed the dressing in, mixed it up and ate it. I LOVE the dressing. Sour Cream sounds weird for something sweet, but it was so good and didn't taste a thing like sour cream. Next time I make this I'm using a banana and an Asian Pear with the grapes. This was really good and I think would work nicely for a gathering.

Pasta Roll-ups with Turkey and Spinach

2009-05-19T21:18:00.004-04:00

This was really great as is, though I have to say I would have prefered it to have a more tomato sauce. Even something as simple as spagetti sauce. I plan on making playing with that in the future.

Serves: 8

Hands on time: 45 minutes (I found it really doesn't take that long.)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1 tsp salt
8 sheets dried high-protein or whole-wheat lasagna
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 15-oz container non-fat ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Turn heat to medium-high and add ground turkey, breaking it up with a spatula until meat shows no sign of pink. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, then add tomatoes and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse and allow to cool in a colander.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Squeeze all remaining moisture from thawed spinach and place in large bowl. Add ricotta cheese, egg and a 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese to bowl. Stir until combined.

4. Spread 1 cup of cooked tomato sauce into bottom of a 9" x 10" casserole dish. Lay a cooked lasagna noodle flat in front of you. Use your fingers to spread 1/8 of ricotta mixture across the noodle and roll it up. Place the rolled pasta seam side down, into the casserole dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Spread remaining tomato sauce over roll-ups, then top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

5. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes or until the rollups are browned and bubbly.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:
Calories: 234
Total Fat: 3 g
Sat. Fat: 0 g
Carbs: 27 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 28 g
Sodium: 508 mg
Cholesterol: 76 mg

NUTRITIONAL BONUS:
One serving of these lasagna-style roll-ups gives you 90 percent of your vitamin A requirement and a healthy dose of calcium – 366 milligrams to be precise.

Baked Squash Parmesan

2009-05-15T13:16:00.002-04:00

4 Med Yellow Squash
2 tsp Low-Cal Margerine
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Scallion
1/4 C Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat to 350 degrees
Cut squash in half lengthwise, place on cookie sheet.
Drizzle 1/2 tsp Melted Margerine over each squash half. Top each half with Parmesan Cheese and add Salt & Pepper to taste. Bake 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Serves 4

50 Cals
2.4g Fat

From the book The Four-Course 400-Calorie Meal Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Broiled Mushrooms w/ Herbed Butter

2009-05-15T13:01:00.002-04:00

2 tbsp +1 tsp Low Cal Margerine
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
1/4 tsp Dried Tarragon or Dill
1 lb Fresh Mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp Worcestershire Suace
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper

Combine butter, basil, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon or dill. Let stand 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly.
Place Mushrooms on a cookie sheet, broil 5 inches from heat, until tender (5-6 minutes). Transfer mushrooms to four small bowls, top each with 1 1/2tsp herbed butter.

Serves 4

50 Cals
3.6g Fat

From the book The Four-Course 400-Calorie Meal Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Hot Open-Faced Cheese Sandwich

2009-05-13T21:29:00.002-04:00

Serves 4

1/4 C (1oz) Grated RF Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 C (1oz) Grated Part-Skim Mazzarella Cheese
6 tbsp FF Miracle Whip
1/4 tsp Curry Powder
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Onion
1 tbsp Evaporated Skim Milk
Dash Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Pound Italian Bread, split length wise and cut into 4 pieces
Paprika for Garnish

Combine everything, except bread and paprika in a bowl. Blend. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat broiler. Spread cheese mix evenly over bread. Sprinkle with paprika. Place on broiler pan no less than 5 inches from heat. Broil 3 minutes (watch close it burns fast!) or until cheese begins to brown. Serve right away.

This recipe comes from the book The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Roast Beef Salad with Blue Cheese in Pitas

2009-05-13T21:05:00.002-04:00

Serves 4

1/2 C FF Miracle Whip
2 tbsp +2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Prepared Horseradish (in a jar, not sauce)
4 loaves Pita, halved to make pockets
16 1/2-oz slices lean cooked deli Roast Beef
2 C Shredded Lettuce
1/2 C Chopped Tomato
1/2 C Chopped Cucumber
1/2 C Alfalfa Sprouts
1/4 C (2oz) Crumbled Blue Cheese

In a small bowl, combine Miracle Whip, Mustard, Horseradish,; mix well and set aside. Fill each pita half with 2 slices beef, 1 tbsp +1 tsp sauce, 1/4 C Lettuce, 1 tbsp Tomato, 1 tbsp Cucumber and 1 tbsp Alfalfa. Top with 1 1/2 tsp blue cheese.

306 Cals
6.2g Fat

This recipe comes from the book The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Note: I love this! LOVE IT! But watch the horseradish because it can be pretty hot. There is a lot here and it's messy, but great! The sauce stays in the fridge well for a few days.

Chicken with Lime Creole Sauce in Tortillas

2009-05-13T20:53:00.002-04:00

Serves 4

5 tbsp plus 1 tsp FF Miracle Whip
6 tbsp NF Sour Cream
1 tsp Grated Lime Zest
1/4 C Fresh Lime Juice
2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
12 Drops Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 4-0z Bnls, Sknls Chicken Breast
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
8 6" Flower Tortilla's, warmed
2 C Shredded Lettuce
1 Large Tomato, Chopped
1/2 C Chopped Red Onion
1/2 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper
16 Med, Pitted Black Olives, Quartered
Lime Wedges, for Garnish

In a small, nonaluminum bowl, combine Miracle Whip, sour cream, zest, lime juice, chili powder, 1/4 tsp pepper, cayenne, salt and hot sauce. Blend well and chill for 1 hour.
Flatten Chicken breast to 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle with garlic, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook in a heated skillet (sprayed) for 2 minutes. Turn, cooke 2 minutes longer or until done. Remove from heat, cut into strips.
Spread each tortilla with 2 tbsp of chilled sauce (I thought this was personaly a bit much). Top with chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, bell pepper and olives. Roll and serve.

349 Cals for 2 Tortillas
7.8g Fat

This recipe comes from the book The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Green Pea Salad

2009-05-13T20:29:00.004-04:00

1/2 C Lite Miracle Whip
1/3 C Chopped Onion
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Pepper
24 Small Green Olives stuffed with Pimientos, sliced
1 16oz Pack Frozen Green Peas, Steam Cooked

Combine everything except the peas. Blend thoroughly.
Add Peas. Toss gently to coat completely. Chill for 1 hour.

Serves 4

213 Cals
2.8g Fat

This recipe comes from the book The 1,200-Calorie-a-Day Menu Cookbook by Nancy Hughes.

Mexican Orzo Salad

2009-04-16T13:58:00.003-04:00

MAN!! This is to die for (if you like Mexican)! I found this in Fit Pregnancy April/May 2009. It's a recipe from Robin Miller (Food Network). It's full of Fiber, Folate and Protein. I used left over Rotisserie Chicken, but I think left over roast would do awesome too! It has a lot of calories for a cup and a half, but I ate only a cup and was full. I don't know why there are so many calories, maybe the orzo? I think brown rice would be awesome too. Omit the meat and it would be a great side too!

Serves 4

Prep 20 min

Cook 10 min

1 1/2 cups Orzo (rice shaped pasta)

2 cups cooked shredded Chicken

1 15oz can Black Beans, drained, rinsed

1 15oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 4oz can diced Mild Green Chilies

3 tblsp chopped fresh Cilantro

2 tblsp fresh Lime Juice

1 tsp ground Cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Dash Cayenne Pepper

Cook orzo according to package. Drain. Add everything else (it'll heat up from the orzo).

Serve warm or cold.

1 Serving is 1 1/2 cups

685 Calories

46g Protein

87g Carb

7.5g Fat

270mg Calcium

6mg Iron

11mg Vitamin C

345mcg Folate

10g Fiber

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas

2009-03-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

I really enjoyed this recipe. Ok, I loved it. I think it would work better as a quesadilla. I topped it with tomatoes, avocado and sour cream. It was stellar! Actually, it was like eating at a restaurant. I used frozen corn and left over chicken. I peeled the zucchini, and diced it really small since I was a little freaked out about having it in a Mexican dish. I didn't taste it a bit. The Cilantro, which I have realized only recently that I absolutely love, is the star of this dish, so don't skip it. This is also a huge portion! MAN! It was incredible!! Let me know if you try it, and let me know what you made for a side. I just ate two for a dinner and didn't worry about making a side.

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup green salsa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 398 (30% from fat)
Fat: 13.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 32.5g
Carbohydrate: 36.7g
Fiber: 3.1g
Cholesterol: 75mg
Iron: 1.4mg
Sodium: 799mg
Calcium: 236mg

Melanie Barnard, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

A Great Recipe Website

2009-03-17T14:39:00.000-04:00

I love recipe's. I think I've stated that already. You'll soon realize I repeat myself quite often. Anyhow, I was looking up digital versions of some recipe's I found in my Cooking Light Magazine (because I hate paper!) online and found that CookingLight.com now has their recipe's hosted on a new website. I didn't really care, so I just registered on the new site and went about my search. I love these sites that have online recipe boxes. Anyhow, I realized that this new website (www.myrecipes.com) host recipes from all over the place, and not just Cooking Light. And, they let you make your own recipe "boxes", as many as you like so that you can organize. I like organization! They also let you creat menu's and shopping lists, which I like too. Anyhow, I really enjoyed the website and thought I would pass it along.

A few blueberry recipe links

2009-03-15T20:25:00.001-04:00

Chunky Blueberry Sauce. This is a great sauce for pancakes or waffles or crepes. It's super high in antioxidants, lo-cal, fat free and d e l i c i o u s!! I use it instead of syrup. It also tastes supreme-o on their Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes. Don't knock it till you try it! Man these are awesome pancakes! You don't taste or feel the Ricotta at all!! I'm big on texture, so this was a bonus for me. The Ricotta makes the pancakes very moist and fluffy. It truly is worth giving it a try! I also love Eating Well's Blueberry-Coconut-Macadamia Muffins. They are best hot and fresh the first day, and adding honey to them just puts them over the top! I also really like to eat their Blueberry Crumble for breakfast. It's a comfort food. It's like having pie or cobbler for breakfast. I make a giant batch of the crumble mixture and keep it in the freezer. Then when I want a nice breakfast fast I just throw the crumble mixture on top of the fruit and pop it in the oven. It's also great tasting with Vanilla yogurt on top or whip cream. I just love blueberries. I always have a huge bag in the freezer. I like to use them as ice cubes in my drinks, I use them in smoothies, in my pancakes and waffles. I love that they are such little powerhouses of nutrition. You can click on the links in this post and be taken directly to the recipe's on Eating Well's website.

Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-03-15T19:59:00.000-04:00

Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
¼ cup grated Swiss, Monterey Jack or part-skim mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons chopped ham2 teaspoons Dijon mustardFreshly ground pepper to taste4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 ¼ pounds total)1 egg white½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Ingredients Cont.

Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a baking sheet with sides and lightly coat it with cooking spray.2. Mix cheese, ham, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.3. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up the breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling. 4. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.) 5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.
Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Instructions Cont.

Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Nutrition Information
Per serving: 236 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 287 mg sodium; 347 mg potassium.Nutrition Bonus: Selenium 38% daily value).1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Ham-&-Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Nutrition Information Cont.

Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

2009-03-14T16:54:00.000-04:00

This recipe is a great, healthy low calorie (fat) Lasagna. It's a favorite in our house. I do have to admit though, it doesn't get made often, because it does take some time to put together. Sometimes I will use the no cook lasagna noodles to avoid a step. That helps!

Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

Prep: 1 hour
Bake: 55 min + standing
Yield: 12 servings

3 tbsp butter
1/3 C flour
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 C fat free milk
3 Ounces reduced Fat cream cheese, cubed
¾ C Parmesan Cheese
1 Pd Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed and crumbled
1 med onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp fennel seed, crushed
1 jar roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped (7 ¼ oz)
½ C white wine, or chicken broth
2 packages (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
¾ C small curd cottage cheese
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
9 lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained
½ C shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 1 – 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese just until melted. Remove from heat; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in oregano, marjoram and fennel; cook for 1 minute.

Add roasted peppers and wine or broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 tbsp. Remove from heat; set aside.

In a small bowl combine spinach, cottage cheese and nutmeg; set aside.

Spread ½ C reserved cheese sauce in a 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top with three noodles, half the sausage mixture, half the spinach mixture and 1 cup sauce; repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 375* for 40 minutes. Uncover, bake at 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition facts: 1 piece equals 279 calories, 11 g fat, (6 g saturated fat) 43 mg cholesterol, 664 mg sodium, 27 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 19 g protein.

Chicken Wraps

2009-03-13T14:53:00.001-04:00

I make these for dinner all the time. My husband just loves them.

Leftover Cooked Chicken (I like using the Rotisserie ones from the store)
Lettuce, Tomato, red onion, Avocado and/or any other veggie you like.
Bacon (the Ready bacon is lower cal because they're so thin)
Tortilla's (go ahead, try the whole wheat ones!)
Light Mayo, ranch or other dressing

Warm or cold these are good. The calories vary greatly depending on what you use, but it's easy to keep these suckers lo-cal and still have two. I like to heat up the wrap first so that it rolls better. I've also done this with leftover roast.

Mushroom Barley Soup

2009-03-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe years ago on Food Fit. I changed it and prefer my way. This is my all time favorite soup. It's fast to make, increadibly filling and low cal!

Heather’s Way

It’s faster and tastes the same! Let’s not make it harder than it is. Sometimes I add more veggies (like they really count for calories, and even if they did they’re VEGETABLES!!) Sometimes I add more broth, or less. I vary the amount of barley too depending on the day. I use what I have. The flavor never really changes. Sometimes I even throw in left over roast meat. That’s yummy too. Using the quick barley makes this ready in about 20 min. I prefer the beef broth because it is easier to find, and I like the beef flavor. At the end I sprinkle on fresh grated Parmesan Cheese (Grate it Fresh from Kraft) and eat it with really crusty grain bread or croutons. This freeze’s very nicely. My nutri info is a tad less (other than sodium) then stated below becaues I omit the oil (since the veggies are frozen) and I use far less mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1c “Recipe Starters” Frozen Chopped Onions, Celery & Carrot mix (Kroger)

Salt & Pepper (this is to your taste)
1 bay leaf and liberal sprinkle of Thyme & Parsley

1/2 cup quick cooking barley (it’s in a box, Quaker and by the rice)
A giant can (32oz) of beef broth (or two, if you want it soupier or for a snack)
1 or 2 containers of sliced fresh mushrooms (2 containers is a LOT of mushrooms)

Put the veggies, spices and broth in a pot, boil. Add Barley and boil per directions (like 15 minutes or something). In the last few minutes put in the mushroom slices. I break mine into smaller pieces for ease when eating.

The "Real Way"

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup pearl barley
6 cups low-sodium mushroom broth or vegetable broth
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced (I thought this was WAY too much!)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. 2. Add the bay leaf, thyme, barley and stock and bring to a boil quickly over high heat. 3. Lower the heat and simmer until the barley is completely tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. 4. Add the mushrooms and simmer until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. 5. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with parsley.

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups
Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Info Per Serving :
Calories 122
Carbohydrate 23 g
Fiber 5 g
Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 4 g
Sodium 367 mg

Prep Time:1 hour