First, a note on the saffron...you can get a small-ish bottle, but certainly enough for a few uses, at Trader Joes for 2.99. You don't need much, but it adds such great flavor. Trader Joes is a great place for spices and seasonings that are usually expensive, like Saffron and Vanilla Beans.
I don't have time to calculate all of these nutritionals, but the soups end up around 300-400 calories for a huge portion. I focus on whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veggies, so my recipes tend to be very healthy-like. All of my recipes make 4 generous, calorie-controlled portions.
Sausage and Lentil Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ lb bulk chicken sausage, or sausage links with casings removed
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 bay leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp chili powder
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
In a heavy-bottom stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown thoroughly, ensuring it is well crumbled. Add the onion and garlic and cook until both are fragrant and slightly browned. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and seasonings and bring to a simmer.
Add the lentils, cover, and simmer 45 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, cover, and continue simmering another 15 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Adjust seasonings as desired.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
2 “Sugar” or “Pie” pumpkins, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
5-6 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
½ tbsp chili powder, or to taste
½ tsp cumin, or to taste
½ tsp salt, or to taste
½ cup fat free half-and-half
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray (for easier cleanup, line the sheet with aluminium foil, then spray the foil with cooking spray). Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on the sheet and roast until the flesh is tender and the skin is easily separated, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
Remove all of the skin from the pumpkin, and place the flesh in a large stock pot. Mash the cooked flesh thoroughly with a potato masher (you can also use a food mill, if desired). Add the chicken stock, adding more or less to reach desired consistency, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Add chili powder, cumin, and salt, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Immediately before serving, stir in the fat free half-and-half.
Beef, Barley, and Vegetable Soup
¾ lb extra lean beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp coarse salt
8 cups low sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
½ cup pearled barley, uncooked
1.5 cups carrot, diced
1.5 cups celery, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
In a large, heavy stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Brown on all sides. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is fragrant and translucent.
Add broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours, or until the beef is extremely tender. About 45 minutes before serving, add the barley and continue simmering for 25 minutes. Add the vegetables, cover, and cook 20 minutes longer, or until the barley and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
4 pieces of chicken breast, 4 oz each, pounded very thin
½ cup panko (japanese) breadcrumbs
¼ cup regular italian style breadcrumbs
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
½ cup egg substitute
½ cup grated part skim mozzarella cheese
1⅓ cups homemade or bottled tomato sauce
Cooking spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pound the chicken breast pieces to about ¼ inch thickness. In a large, flat dish, combine both types of breadcrumbs, the flour, and the grated parmesan cheese. In a separate dish, mix the egg substitute with salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken pieces in the egg substitute and shake off the excess. Dredge to cover in the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet with a rack (a broiler pan works well for this - i recommend lining with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier). Spray the top of each chicken piece with cooking spray.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until breading is just beginning to brown. Top each piece with ¼ of the mozzarella cheese and return to oven 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, breading is browned, and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve topped with ⅓ cup of the fat free spaghetti sauce.
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1 lb, trimmed of all visible fat
1 4-oz jar roasted red peppers, well-drained
4 oz light chevre, or 3 Laughing Cow cheese wedges
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup arugula leaves
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing it lengthwise, cutting ⅔ of the way into the meat, then placing it between two layers of plastic wrap and pounding until you have approximately a flat rectangle.
In a small bowl, combine the chevre, dijon, ¼ tsp black pepper, and ¼ tsp salt. Mix well. Spread this mixture over the entire butterflied pork loin.
Layer the arugula leaves, then the roasted red peppers, on top of the chevre, leaving a one-inch border on one side of the pork loin. Roll tightly, starting at the end opposite the border and tucking the filling in tightly. Tie the roll with butcher’s twine at 5-6 places along its length.
Place the tenderloin in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Let rest 10 minutes before carving into thin slices with a serrated knife.
Basic Garden Frittata
2 leeks, green tops discarded, thinly sliced and well-cleaned
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 zucchini, ½ inch dice
¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups baby spinach leaves
3 pre-cooked chicken sausage links, diced
4 oz light chevre, divided
4 whole eggs, separated
8 egg whites
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt, or to taste
3 tbsp basil, chiffonade (optional)
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the skillet with cooking spray, add the diced sausage, and cook until the casing begins to crisp. Remove to a large bowl.
Spray the pan again with cooking spray. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften. Add the bell pepper, broccoli, and zucchini. Cook, still frequently stirring, until the vegetables begin to brown around the edges. Add the chicken broth, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just crisp tender. Add the spinach and wilt quickly. Place all the vegetables in the bowl with the sausage, and cool until barely warm.
Add all four egg yolks to the bowl with the vegetables and sausage, along with the salt, pepper, basil, and 2 oz of the chevre. In a separate bowl, whip all 12 egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped whites into the vegetable, sausage, and egg mixture, maintaining as much air as possible.
Spray a large oven-safe skillet, and its accompanying lid, with cooking spray. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Crumble the remaining 2 oz of chevre over the top. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, or until mixture starts to set. In the meantime, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Once the frittata has finished cooking on the stove, remove the lid from the skillet and place the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake 10-15 minutes, until the frittata is completely set and the top is golden brown. Slice into four wedges and serve.
Turkey Mini-Meatloaves
1 package (20 oz) ground turkey breast
1 large onion, grated
1 large carrot, finely grated
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 tbsp tomato ketchup, divided
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
Cumin
1 tsp chili powder
⅓ c. fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
cooking spray
In a large bowl, place all ingredients except 2 tbsp of the ketchup and 2 tbsp of the barbecue sauce. Gently combine all ingredients with a fork, lightly tossing until combined...do not overwork or overmix!
Spray 8 cups of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide meatloaf mixture into 8 equal-sized portions and roll each into a ball. Place each ball in one of the muffin tins, press lightly to flatten.
In a small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp barbecue sauce, and another dash of cumin. Mix well. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the meatloaves with about half of the mixture.
Bake meatloaves at 375 degrees for 20-25 min. 10 minutes before they will be done, brush the tops again with the remaining barbecue sauce/ketchup mixture and return to the oven.
Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt, coarsely ground
¼ tsp black pepper
⅓ cup chicken broth
Cooking spray
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and preheat on medium heat. On a cutting board, sprinkle the minced garlic with the sea salt. Using the side of your knife, mash the salt and garlic together to make a thick paste. Add the lemon zest and black pepper and mix.
Add the fresh green beans to the heated pan and toss lightly. Cook, uncovered and stirring frequently, until the green beans begin to soften. Add the chicken broth, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover. Allow the green beans to steam until crisp-tender.
When the green beans are cooked through, raise the heat again to medium. Add the garlic, sea salt, lemon zest, and pepper to the pan and toss to mix and heat through. Immediately before serving, squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the green beans.
Italian Summer Squash Bake
2-3 lb summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces no more than ⅓ in. thick
1 cup diced fresh tomato, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
8 tbsp grated parmesan
½ cup reduced fat or part skim mozzarella cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the squash, tomato, garlic, basil, 4 tbsp of the parmesan, and salt and pepper - mix well. Spray a casserole dish big enough that the squash layer is about 2 inches thick with cooking spray, add the squash. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and remaining parmesan.
Bake for 40-45 min, until cheese on top is bubbly and golden, and squash is cooked through.
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp coarse salt
½ tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup polenta
¼ cup fat free half and half
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
In a heavy saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the polenta, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Whisk continuously for the first few minutes as the mixture returns to a simmer.
Cook over medium low heat, stirring regularly, for 20 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick. Gradually stir in the fat free half and half and parmesan cheese.
Remove from heat to allow to set slightly before serving.
Outdo me!
