CORE: Lunch Ideas

[Silverain54]

Hi everyone! My biggest issue on core is being able to come up with quick, satisfying, yet light core lunches. If you have ideas please post them here!

[Silverain54]

I got this off Dottie's Weight Loss site, but I quartered the recipe to make with a single size can of salmon.

Salmon Patties (makes about 3-4 patties)

1 170g can salmon drained (the smaller size)
pinch onion powder (can use real onion but I don't like the crunch)
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 tablespoon lemon juice
dash salt
dash dried dill
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 egg

Spray a frying pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray and cook mixture like a pancake until each side is golden brown.

I had these with ketchup and veggies on the side.... pretty good lunch! :D

[aghiowa]

Potatoe & Zucchini pancakes

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AWESOME side dish, a MUST try. All CORE ingredients, count 0 points unless you have more than a serving.

2 large potatoes peeled and shredded
2 medium zucchini shredded
4 scallions sliced
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/4 t tarragon
2T corn meal
2 eggs

put potatoes/zucchini in a bowl salted, let stand for 30 minutes. Squeeze and drain out all water. Fry in olive oil, brown (I cooked mine covered for 12 minutes, flipping). Makes 8 pancakes, you can have 2 for a serving. Now, I sliced mine thin rather than shredding and made them hashbrown-like. AWESOME flavor, even hubby liked!

[aghiowa]

Veggie Side Dishes

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Here are a few recipes I pulled from the lo-carb cookbook I published that were slightly altered for CORE.

SPINACH DELIGHT
1 package frozen spinach cooked & drained
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 t. nutmeg
4 T. FF Parmesan cheese.

Mix and heat.

BROCCOLI CRUNCH SALAD
1 medium chopped broccoli
1 c. ff shredded cheddar
1 c. ffmayonnaise
2 T. vinegar
2 T. sweetener

Mix together broccoli, bacon and cheese. Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and sweetener. Toss together vegetables and dressing. Chill.

BAKED CHEESE ZUCCHINI
2 thinly sliced medium zucchini
1 egg
1 T. prepared mustard
1/8 t. ground white pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1 thinly sliced green onion
1/2 c. grated FF cheese

Place zucchini in a colander or on towels to drain off the moisture. Combine the remaining ingredients. Add to the zucchini and mix well. Pour into a lightly oiled 2-quart casserole. Bake 350° for 40 to 45 minutes.

ZUCCHINI QUICHE
4 cups shredded, drained zucchini
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 c. FF Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. FF shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese. Place into a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Bake at 375° about 20 minutes. Serves 4. 4.5 gm carbs/serving

ASPARAGUS AU GRATIN
5 T. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lbs. asparagus
1/2 c. FF grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon

Pour oil into an oval gratin or other shallow baking dish and add some salt and pepper. Add asparagus and coat with oil. Bake at 450° until asparagus is tender and beginning to brown at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and squeeze lemon juice before serving. Serves 8. 5 gm carbs/serving

ITALIAN GREEN BEANS
1 lb. fresh green beans
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3 c. hot water
1/2 c. FF grated Parmesan cheese

Dissolve bouillon in hot water. Pour over beans. Cook until beans are tender. Drain and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper before serving.
__________________
Debra

[aghiowa]

Nigella's Herbed Couscous adapted for Core

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Published: September 15, 2004


Time: 15 minutes

1 teaspoon vegetable stock granules or 1 teaspoon crumbled vegetable bouillon cube ( I would opt for fresh broth, but hey, I'm that way )
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely sliced scallions
1-2 tsp olive oil
Salt.

1. In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water and vegetable stock granules. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, and stir to dissolve granules. Add couscous, cover, and set aside until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

2. Fluff couscous with a fork. Mix in parsley and scallions and add oil, working it through with a fork to mix well. Season with salt to taste, and serve.



Yield: 6 servings.

[aghiowa]

Couscous

Add dry beef flavoring packet to the water or chicken or vegetable flavor.

Add some left over couscous to canned soups.

Finely cut up or shred vegetables to add to your couscous. Some grocery stores sell containers of mixed finely cut up veggies.

Ann
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Or replace your water with chicken, beef or vegetable broth.

[aghiowa]

This will fill you up.

Put 1 cup of lentils (red or orange) into 6 cups of bouillon and add some spices. I like 1 t of cumin and cardomon and 2 t of tumeric. Add 6 minced cloves of garlic and simmer for 45 to 1 hour. You want a thick glop sort of thing.

Then put on rice, couscous, quinoa, what have you and add a bit of chutney.

I cut some chopped up kale in just before it was done and it was great. You will be FULL. This is enough for two.

Try it, you might like it.
Kally

[aghiowa]

Made this the other day. It was really good. I ate it over greens one day, in a tortilla the next. (used 2 pts for the tortilla). I got it from Barbo's site.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad
Core Recipe
Servings | 6
Preparation Time | 20 min
Cooking Time | 25 min
Level of Difficulty | Easy
light meals | Liven up lunch with this zesty spin on a classic. Either serve it over leafy greens or wrap it up in some Bibb lettuce.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 small sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 medium scallion(s), sliced
15 1/4 oz canned yellow corn, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place chicken in a glass baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 25 minutes. Chop into bite-size pieces; set aside. (Or, save time by purchasing already cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast.)
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cumin and chili powder in a medium bowl.
Stir in chicken, peppers, scallions and corn; mix well. Gently fold in beans. Cover and chill at least two hours. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

[LKTS]

Healthy Hummus:

Great with pita and/or baby carrots and other veggies:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/2 t cumin
2 T lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced

Combine ingredients and ~1T of reserved bean liquid. Mix in blender or food processor for a smooth hummus or mix with a potato masher for a chunky texture.

[cacmsc]

Thanks for your recipes girls. They will help me try some new things. Having a variety of choices sure makes a difference when trying to change our eating habits.
Good luck and I will ck. in again. Not on any certain diet just trying to track and make some healthy changes to lose a some wt..

[Vickie]

Check out www.barbosdietkitchen.com under her recipe archives. There are thousands of healthy recipes there. Good luck!

[aghiowa]

Tangy Tuna Salad

2 small stalks celery, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
lots of dill pickles, chopped (I love pickles)
handful of frozen green peas
1 can tuna
roughly 2 T. Dijon mustard (I may have added more)
roughly 1/2 c. ff Miracle Whip

Mix together and chill. I ate it wrapped in large lettuce leaves. Mmm. It made at least 2 servings if you're really hungry, 3 if not.

[aghiowa]

I made this for lunch earlier this week. It was great! If you like things less tangy, just replace some of the vinegar with water.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Oil-Free Three-Bean Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons fat-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons white grape juice
2 tablespoons Splenda
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 clove garlic -- minced
SALAD
8 ounces canned cut wax beans -- drained
8 ounces canned cut green beans -- drained
8 ounces canned red kidney beans -- drained
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers

Dressing: In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, broth, juice, sugar, celery seeds and garlic.

Salad: In a large bowl, combine the wax beans, green beans, kidney beans, onions and peppers.

Add the dressing.

Gently stir till combined.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours to blend the flavors, stirring often.

Description:
"This salad improves with age, has a tangy-sweet dressing"

[aghiowa]

I found this on Barbo's site. It's the best way I've have couscous so far.

Mediterranean Couscous

Yield: 1 Servings

1 c Chicken broth

1 ts Dried basil

1 cl Garlic

3/4 c Couscous; uncooked
1 1/2 tb Balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 ts Olive oil

1/4 ts Pepper

1/8 ts Salt

3/4 c Seeded, chopped, unpeeled

.tomato

Bring chicken broth, basil and garlic to a boil.
Stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let
stand 5 minutes.

Combine vinegar, oil, pepper and salt well.

Fluff couscous with fork, combine with dressing
and tomato.

Angela

[aghiowa]

Blanch a few cups of brocolli (dont forget to peel the stems and slice them too)
Let cool
Put 2 t olive oil in a frying pan and add a couple of cloves of garlic and just a touch of those tiny hot peppers (JUST A TOUCH)
Fry up nicely.
Put the brocolli in there and toss it around and heat it up.
At the last minute throw in a bit (say quarter cup) of ff cottage cheese. Toss it around and serve it on ww pasta.

Excellent, cheap and filling.

Kally

[aghiowa]

Tomato-Sage Pasta

Description:
"No matter what the season, plum tomatoes blended with garlic, sweet
pepper, and sage make a tasty sauce for pasta."

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes -- peeled and quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small green or yellow pepper -- cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage
OR
1 teaspoon dried sage -- crushed
4 ounces whole wheat linguine or fettuccine

For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook the garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 12 minutes. Stir in sweet pepper and sage. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until desired consistency.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, except omit any oil or salt. Drain. Return pasta to saucepan. Add sauce to cooked pasta; toss genlty to coat.

[Katpo]

Easy lunch ideas and/or quick things to grab on the way out the door!

Boiled egg
Light string cheese (1 pt)
Pickles or olives
Prepared tuna salad (tuna, onion, celery, relish, boiled egg, apple)
SF Jell-o or pudding
Banana
Apple
Natural (unsweetened) applesauce
Carrot sticks
Pineapple or peach cups (in natural juices)
94%FF popcorn mini-bags
Can of soup

[hefty1]

good ideas :) glen

[Vickie]

This sounds great to me but I haven't tried it yet. It's from Robyn at Dottie's Weight Loss Zone.

Tuna/Avocado Salad
--------------------------------------------------------Yesterday I threw a bunch of things together for lunch and it was SO delicous! I love when accidents happen like that:

1 can of tuna (small)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 can of black olives, sliced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 can Rotel, Mexican flavor with lime and cilantro
1 can kidney beans, drained
small "blob" of FF Miracle Whip

Enjoy!
Robyn

[Vickie]

This one is from Ladypit at Recipezaar. I've tried some of her other Core recipes and they are quite good. I've not tried this one yet but I plan to with some spinach greens.

Baby Greens and Garlicky White Bean Salad

This is a very garlicky salad. A nice fast dinner. A slight adaptation from a recipe in "Weight Watchers Miracle Foods" cookbook. Each serving is 3 points as written. Though I suggest a tad more sauce, which would make the points go up a smidge. Red onion is prefered because of the milder taste. If you like the taste of raw onion, then yellow is fine too. The original recipe called for serving it immediately. I like to let it sit a few minutes so the tastes will meld, but it would not keep for more then an hour or 2. If you don't have baby greens, spinach would be excellent.

2 1/4 cups baby greens
1 (15 ounce) can navy beans
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 servings - 10 mins prep

Chop the greens finely.

Mix them, the rinsed and drained beans, and the onion in a bowl.
In a smaller bowl or shaker combine the vinegar, the oil, and the garlic.

Add the salt and pepper and mix it all well.

Add the dressing to the greens and toss it together.

Let it sit about 5 minutes so the tastes will meld.

Some have recommended to mix all but the greens ahead of time to let the flavors marinate. Then when you are ready to serve mix in with the greens.

[Elanajel]

I make various combinations with these:

Leftover cooked grains (wheat berries, spelt, brown rice, whole wheat couscous, bulgur, millet)

Drained, canned beans (black, white, cannellini, navy, black-eyed peas, pink, kidney, chickpea)

Finely chopped vegetables (celery, carrot, radish, scallion, red cabbage)

Optional additional protein: hard-boiled egg, shredded cheese or tofu

Make a vinaigrette w/the "healthy oil", let it marinate about 30 mins. and enjoy!
Or dress it the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Easy to take to work, easy to eat at home.

[satisfied]

Leftovers are a big plus for me, you just have to make sure that you don't overlap your grains/ground meat in the process!

I like lots of lettuce wraps for lunch too... anything from a tuna salad sammich filling wrapped in lettuce instead, also chicken salad sammich filling wrapped in lettuce.

The new Light Progresso Soups that are 0 pts per serving are fabulous too! I've been having a serving of that and adding in some canned chicken for a quick meal to take to work with me!

Veggies veggies and more veggies! I love to make a salad (with no lettuce hah) of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and sometimes a green apple too and top it with some spicy homeade salsa! YUMMY! You can also add canned chicken or tuna to the mix and have a nice filling meal!

[IreneVine]

I found this recipe on Kraft's website. There are alot of good ones there. I believe it would be considered core. Haven't tried it yet, but it got alot of good reviews on Kraft's website.

Black bean & Mango Chicken Salad

1/2 lb grilled cut up chicken breast
1 can (16 oz) Black beans rinsed and drained
1 Pkg(10 oz) frozen corn thawed and drained
1 Cup chopped ripe mango
1/2 C chopped red pepper
1/3 C chopped red onion
1/3 C chopped cliantro
1/4 c lime juice
1 Envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing and Recipe Mix

Toss all together in Large bowl. Refridgerate a couple hours.

4 Servings

[lysistrata117]

I make this all the time, it's so yummy!

I put in as much of the ingredients as I want to make one serving. It's good cold too, so sometimes I'll make it for lunch the night before.

Brown Pasta
Diced fresh tomatoes
Chopped olives
minced garlic
garlic salt
fresh basil- minced
olive oil
sometimes I add chicken

I mix all the ingredients together and adjust to taste. Quite possibly my favorite core dish. It's too bad I can only have it once a day!!