[Greekgirl]

Wow! this is getting to be a big thread! that's why this is part 2.

Today's tip for cheese lovers:
If you tend to put extra cheese on everything, adding extra calories where you don't want them, you can try the following:
1. Use more (low-sodium) salt in cooking and/or
2. use salty strong flavored cheese (e.g parmesan or goat cheese) in stead of cheddar.
3. Use more herbs when cooking (extra onions/garlick, pepper, whatever) to make the taste of your food stronger and not miss the cheese.

Be careful though: if you do this every day and do not drink enough, you might feel bloated now and then. It HUGELY helps to cut down on extra cheese intake, though.

Today's recipe:
PASTA ADDICT
Pasta with artichoke cream
serves 4
low fat, low cal
takes about 15 min to fix

You need:
1 can drained artichoke hearts
low-cal concentrated milk (1/2), or low cal cream
1 garlick clove, mashed
Chopped parsley
1 Tbs olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 lb any kind of pasta (dry)

Salt & Pepper to taste, 1 tbs lemon juice, parmesan to garnish

How to:
1. Put lots of water to the boil with salt and cook the pasta
2. While doing this, mix all the other ingredients except bell pepper in the food processor until mixture = creamy. Add bell pepper.
3. warm the sauce in the microwave (but don't cook) until hot.
4. pour over hot pasta and serve with parmesan and salad

can't get any easier!
also nice: Add shrimps or other seafood

From Athens with love, god bless you Greekgirl

[Greekgirl]

Traditional Greek recipe
(it's what my grandmother makes for me when she wants to spoil me)

serves 4
low-carb, comparatively low cal
15 min to prepare + 30 to let simmer

you need:

1 kilo (2 lb's) red mullet or cod (or both), heads and all
1 1/2 (3 lb) litre water
1 onion, uncut
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in medium sized chunks
2 large carrots diced
4 small diced zucchini
4 tbs of olive oil
1 handful of fresh parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients together in a large pan, bring to the boil, let simmer for about 30 min.

You can eat this plain or with brown bread (your family) to make a really tasty filling meal.

[Greekgirl]

Low fat, low cal, low cholesterol
2 min to prepare


for 2 big glasses you need:
6 oz (200 gr) low or non fat thick yoghurt
6 oz of your favorite non-sweetened fruit juice
6 oz soda water
maybe some sweetener

icecubes

Shake shake shake shake shake shake

[Greekgirl]

Tastes like fresh tomato soup!

Low cal, low fat (a big cup only has about 100 calories)
serves 4
time to prepare: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans boiling water /stock (from a cube or powder)
1 small onion, grated finely
angel hair vermicelli or (if you want creamy soup) 1-2 tbs of flour diluted in a bit of cold water
low-fat or FF sour cream(or low fat undiluted canned milk) to top
1/2 coffeespoon of sugar

some oregano or other favorite herbs
pepper to taste

Put all ingredients together in a pan except for vermicelli/flour and sour cream.
Let cook for about 10 min.
Add vermicelli or flour mixture, let cook on low heat while stirring for five minutes more.

Enjoy!

[Greekgirl]

For garlick lovers.
serves 4 as a side dish, goes well with boiled beetroots, fish, and meat (in Greece, we traditionally eat it with beetroots or fried fish)

ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
2-3 cloves of garlick, mashed
bit of lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil (or 2, but I'm trying to keep it low-fat)

salt, pepper (although the garlick will make it kinda anyway)

Mix all ingredients together, let stand for at least two hours (the garlick will build up flavour gradually!), serve at room temperature.

[Greekgirl]

If you like olive oil but wonder why you need more oil with some brands to get that "olive oily" taste, try changing brands:

Some oils have a stronger flavour (test this yourself) so you'll need less in cooking. Smelling-tasting or putting some oil on a little piece of white bread with some salt are good ways to test what the flavour of oil is.

Virgin olive oil (1st press) is best; it is also the most expensive, but the taste makes up for it and you'll need less in cooking.

If you don't know how much oil to use: 1/2 a tablespoon per person is usually enough and will keep your fat-intake down.
Use the less flavoured olive oil you might have bought already in dishes where it doesn't matter that much what oil you use.

[Greekgirl]

High protein Omelet

Low Fat, Low Carb, Low cal, VERY filling!
Cals about 180
Time to prepare: 10 min
Amount for 1 person

5 eggwhites (or equivalent in egg beaters)
2 TBS rice flour (or other fine flour)
1/2 cup low-fat milk

salt, pepper, herbs to taste (try oregano, bit of onion, mushrooms, dill, basil etc), + 1 tbs parmezan cheese OR

1 teaspoon sugar
1 TBS low-cal sweetener/jam/jelly/honey/fruit

Preparation:
beat the egg whites with all other ingredients until a bit frothy
Put a pan on low fire and cover until underside is brown and upper side done. Don't turn.
Serve with parmezan cheese or jam/etc.

This will really get you through the day!!!!! Also perfect to take to lunch.

[Greekgirl]

OK guys,
this is an absolute favorite dish of anyone I know and you can adapt it at will. It's an originally Indonesian dish which has been adopted by the Dutch like chinese takeway only better and healthier!

recipe for 4 (but can be adapted):
Time to prepare: 20 minutes
one-skillet meal

ingredients:
350 gr long-grain rice. Cook the rice to your preferred method and set aside.( for best result, cook the rice the night before and keep in the fridge overnight)
1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil (not olive oil)
2 Eggs
250 gr. lean Chicken meat
1 Onion, 1 Leek
75 grams (3 oz) bean sprouts (optional)
200 gr cabbage in small ribbons
250 gr. Shelled Prawns (optional)

2 Green Chillis, 1 to 2 teaspoons Sambal Badjak or Sambal Ulek (=Indonesian hot red pepper paste, substitute with 2 ground red chillies mixed with 1 teasp. salt).
1 Garlic Clove
1 teaspoon Coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin
3 Tbs. Kecap Manis (=sweet soy sauce, chinese soy sauce is not the same but will do in extreme cases if 2 tbs sugar added and mixed)
salt to taste (optional, try first)

USE A WOK OR NON-STICK SKILLET!
Beat the eggs and make into a omelette, slice into strips and set aside.
Heat the oil. Add the chopped onion, leek, cabbage, (bean sprouts) garlic and chillies. Fry until the onion is soft. Add the Coriander and Cumin. Slice Chicken into strips and add with the prawns to the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until they are well mixed.
Add the rice, Kecap Manis and omelette strips, (and prawns) and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Decorate with some of the leftover leek and serve hot.

you can also experiment with the herbs and use your own favorites!

With many thanks to www.indochef.com ("Henks Hot Kitchen).

[Greekgirl]

Easy as pie, better for you!

Low fat, low cal, high iron, high fiber
for about 4 persons
time: 5 min preparation, 1 1/2 hour cooking (on low fire, go do smt else meanwhile)
you need:

1 lb (500 gr) small brown lentils, dry (washed)
1 can of chopped tomatoes and 2 TBS tomato paste
1 large onion, whole
2 cloves garlick, whole
2 bay leaves
(optional: 1 small (6 ounce - 200 gr) can of light corned beef or lean beef in small pieces).
3 lb of water
1 tbs olive oil per person

salt, pepper and vinegar to taste


How to make:
Put all ingredients together in a large pan, except for the tomatoes and paste.
Let cook until all ingredients tender (about 1 hour) on low fire
Add tomato and meat (optional).
Let cook for about 1/2 more until taste blended.

Serve with vinegar (taste after a few drops, then add more as desired), brown bread and (feta) cheese, makes a meal!

[Greekgirl]

Lunch Tuna salad for dummies

High protein, low calorie
for 1 person
Time to prepare: 5 min


1 small 6 ounce (200 gr) can of tuna-in-water
1 red pepper in slivers
1 small red pepper or black ground pepper
5 small onions pickled, or 3 pickled gherkins in small pieces
1 large tomato, in little blocks without the seeds
6 forksful (1 cup) plain string beans, canned and cooked in water
1 tbs low cal mayonnaise, or 1/2 tbs (olive) oil
(optional): 1 small green onion

put together in a bowl and mix well. READY!

[Greekgirl]

High protein, low cal, low fat
recipe for 4 persons
takes about 20 minutes to prepare

Special feature: Non stick skillet

You need:
4 chicken breasts
1 medium onion grated
1 clove garlick, mashed
1 tbs flour diluted in about 5 tbs water
1 red pepper in slivers
1 tbs olive oil
low fat canned condensed unsweetened milk
1 coffeespoon of sugar

salt, pepper, 1 coffeespoon lemon juice, 1 tbs sweet red pepper powder (paprika powder)

Put olive oil in skillet, add onions and garlick. Sautee for 2 minutes (let simmer until soft), add slightly salted and peppered breast. Cook about 6 min each side until just done.
Take out of skillet an dkeep warm somewhere.
Add: red sweet pepper in slivers, sugar, let simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup undiluted canned milk, the flour in water, paprika powder, salt, pepper and the lemon juice.
Taste (must have a slightly sweet taste), let simmer while stirring for about 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken breasts and let get warm in the sauce.

very good with mushroom salad (which I will post tomorrow) and mash.

[houndlvr1]

This is VERY tasty and has virtually no fat/very low cals.

1 8-oz pkg sliced mushrooms
2 Cups of Water
2 Herb-Ox Low Sodium Chicken Boullion
4 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Fresh Chives, chopped

Kind of a no brainer but here goes...

Dissolve the boullion in 2 Cups water, add to a saucepan and allow to boil. Turn down heat, add in mushrooms & cream cheese. Let this cook until the mushrooms are fairly limp and the the cream cheese has been well blended.

Whisk in the fresh chives & serve it up -
You can top this with black pepper and a pinch of salt.

For a super creamy version place in blender just prior to serving and pulverize til smooth.

Serves 2 generously!

[Greekgirl]

Thanx Hound! I'm going to try the soup tonight!

Here's another one with mushrooms:
Low cal and a very nice different side dish!
time to prepare: 10 min (+ 1 hr marinating)

Mushroom salad

1 lb mushrooms in fairly thin slices (1/2 centimetre)
1 garlick clove (optional but very nice)
fresh parsley, chopped
one little finely chopped onion
salt, pepper
1-2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs balsamico vinegar
1/2 tbs of lemon juice

Take a non stick skillet.
Put half the olive oil in and sautee the mushrooms until a bit soft but a long way from done! (few minutes) do NOT let brown!
Put all ingredients together in a large bowl and season to taste.
Let marinate for at least one hr (the longer the better).


ly!

[Greekgirl]

Summer bean salad

very nice side dish or in stead of potatoes in a meal.
low fat, low-cal, high fiber, protein (about 10 gr. per serving)
about 150 cal per serving
quantity 4 person side dish, or 2 person meal
takes about 10 min to prepare


Ingredients:
1 lb (500 gr) sweet red peppers, chopped
1 lb beans (any of your favorites, I use fava), cooked
1 medium onion, chopped finely
8 oz (250 gr) plain fat free yoghurt OR 1 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs balsamico vinegar
1 tbs honey

parsley, salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients together, eat immediately or let stand for a minimum of 1 hr. or as long as you can (usually not very long)

This is an ideal diet dish because it is so tasty, filling and low fat. You wont't want anything sweet either afterwards because of the small amount of sugar in the recipe and the beans.



HE Y'all out there, please give me some feedback on the recipes. I would love to hear what you think of them, if you tried them out, and if you added anything to make them better!

Greekgirl

[Greekgirl]

Tastes SOOOOOOO much better than the ready bought stuff!

you need:
1. good quality green tea (preferably not in a bag, buy it loose)
2. (optional) lemon juice, OR cinnamon, OR 1 cup orange juice, or mint leaves (dried) to taste
3. (sweetener)

time to prepare: 5 min
calories: virtually 0
prepares 2 litres (about 4 lb)

How to make:
brew 1 lb (1/2 litre) very strong green tea, if you are using cinnamon or mint add them now.
strain the tea, and add 3 lb's (1 1/2 litre) of very cold water (or water with icecubes.
If you are using lemon juice, orange juice or sweetener, add them now.

Put in bottles and keep in fridge.
This is a very tasty way to help getting your water in, and green tea is supposed to have a healthy influence on your body, too.

Me, I love the cinnamon version or the plain one most.