Light Garden Shell Salad

• 8 ounces uncooked small pasta shells
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the peas during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and rinse in cold water.  
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, peas, celery, red pepper and onion. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, basil, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.   

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts 3/4 cup equals 157 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 2 starch.

Tamale Veggie Pie

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Mexican diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean. 
In a small nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons juice; add tomatoes and juice to onion mixture.  

Stir in the beans, cheese, chilies, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder. Transfer to an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together the egg, yogurt and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon over filling; gently spread to cover top. 

Nutritional Facts 1 piece equals 280 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 55 mg cholesterol, 746 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 13 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

* This was a little bland. I added some cilantro to the cornbread topping and mine took more like 40 min to cook all the way thru. I think that this has hope just needs a few extra touches to it.

Italian chicken Pasta

• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta(I used whole wheat)
• 1 lb chicken breast diced up
• 1 small green pepper sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced (I used 2)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1.Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a nonstick pan, stir-fry the chicken, pepper, onion and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink. 

2.Add the pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes, sauce and seasoning; heat through. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand until melted.

Nutritional Facts 1-1/3 cups equals 288 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 47 mg cholesterol, 96 mg sodium, 36 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat

Loved this. Used whole wheat noodles. Left out the mushroom and used 12oz low sodium pizza sauce.left out the Italian season and added another clove of garlic. Simple to make and loved the cherry tomatoes in it. Great light healthy pasta. Will add zucchini next time.

Healthy Strawberry Banana Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Greek no-fat plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 Tbsp butter melted
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup diced ripe strawberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Oil or spray oil for cooking

1. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium high heat. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; then whisk yogurt,  mashed banana, vanilla extract and eggs together; add yogurt and eggs to flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in melted butter or oil,  fold in strawberries.

1. Spray oil on hot griddle and spoon batter into even cakes – about 8 – and let cook until bubbles form on the surface of the cakes, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about another 2 minutes.

I got this recipe from frombeyondmykitchenwindow. (Topped mine with some sugar free syrup)

Light and Cheesy Bean Dip

8 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup fat free sour cream
16 oz can of fat free refried beans
1 tablespoon green chilies
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup salsa
4 oz of reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded


1.Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream and mix until combined. Spread the mixture across the bottom of a 9” glass pie plate.
3 In another bowl, combine the beans, chilies, cumin, chili powder and salt and stir until well combined. Spread the bean mixture over top of the cream cheese layer in the pie plate. Spread the salsa over top of the bean layer and then sprinkle the cheese across the top.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and serve immediately.

Yields 12 (1/3 cup) Nutrition Information per serving 106 calories, 8 g carbs, 6 g fat, 6 g protein, 2 g fiber

* Loved this we added some fresh pickled jalapenos to it when it was done and it tasted amazing on chips. My kids and husband both ate it up. I got this recipe from emilybites

Skinny Chicken Sour cream enchiladas

16 oz. fat free sour cream
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 tbls. fresh chopped cilantro (1/2 tbls. dried)
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1 can Mexican Rotel
1 cup chopped onions (optional)
 8 low carb tortillas
1 cup shredded pepper jack and colby cheese blend
1 can diced green chiles

In a saucepan, mix together sour cream, soup and cilantro. Heat through and set aside.
Combine the chicken, rotel, onions and green chiles in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Heat until onions are transparent then mix a few minutes to blend the flavors and juices.

Warm the tortillas until flexible.
Fill each tortilla with about 2 tbls. of the chicken mixture.
Top with about 1/2-1 tablespoon of cheese
Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in a 8×11 dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Pour/Spread the sour cream sauce over enchiladas
Top with the remaining cheese

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.




Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 275; Total Fat: 8g;  Total Carbs: 30g; Protein: 14g

I got this recipe from
    skinnymom.com

Baked General Tso Chicken

2 -3 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut in strips
1 egg + 2 tbsp water whisked together to make an egg wash

Combine

1 cup flour
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp salt

1.Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash then dredge them in the flour mixture. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and lightly drizzle or the tops with a little more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25-3o minutes. Flip the pieces at half way through the cooking time.

2.While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Don’t walk away from this sauce; it gets very hot when making the caramel base and can burn easily so pay careful attention while cooking it.

In a small bowl, mix together

4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
2 tbsp hot chilli paste or sauce (use more or less to taste if you don’t like it very hot)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp corn starch
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp freshly grated ginger

Set this mixture aside

In a medium saucepan boil together

1 cup sugar
¼ cup water

1.Boil this over medium heat, watching constantly until the caramel starts to turn a light amber color and you can begin to smell the caramel. When it reaches this stage, give the other ingredients in the bowl a quick stir to make sure the corn starch is dissolved then add it all at once to the hot caramel.

2.Be careful at this stage because this sauce can foam up considerably for a few seconds and it is very hot. Simmer for only few minutes and remove from the heat and allow to cool down slightly.

3.Toss the sauce with the cooked chicken pieces and serve over plain steamed rice.




*  This recipe was so yummy the whole family loved it. I only used about 1/2T hot sauce so that it was not to spicy for the kids and they ate it up. My sauce did not turn into a glaze it was more just a sauce that we poured over the chicken. But it had amazing flavor and was super easy to make. The leftovers were also yummy. I got this recipe from nlrockrecipes

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1/4 cup flour
2 cups water 
4 cups fat free milk
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/2 medium chopped onion
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 chicken bouillons
fresh ground pepper
pinch of thyme
10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
salt



1.Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

2.Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 bowl (1-1/2 cups) Calories: 253.8 • Fat: 1.8 g • Protein: 27.7 g • Carb: 31.9 g • Fiber: 3.4 g 

* Another great and simple recipe from skinnytaste

Strawberry Crepe Roll ups

 
1 1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup egg beaters
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup strawberry jam (low sugar or sugar free)
3 cups chopped strawberries
2 tsp powder sugar

 1.In a large bowl, combine the milk, egg substitute and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar and salt; add to milk mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

2.Coat a 7- or 8-in. nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to plate; keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, coating with additional cooking spray as needed. 

3.Spread each crepe with about 2 teaspoons spreadable fruit. Top with about 3 tablespoons strawberries. Roll up. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 8 servings.


One serving (2 filled crepes) equals 137 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 145 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein. 

Slow Cooked Chicken Ranch Tacos

3-4 med boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package dry ranch seasoning mix
1 package dry low sodium taco seasoning mix
2 cups fat free chicken broth
12 taco shells
1 cup lettuce, shredded
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1.Put chicken, broth, taco seasoning and ranch seasoning into a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. (I used frozen chicken and cooked it for 6 hrs on low)

2.Shred chicken with two forks.

3.Divide chicken and taco fixings evenly amongst the taco shells.

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 2 tacos

PER SERVING: 231 calories; 10g fat; 16g carbohydrates; 18g protein; 2g fiber

* Another recipe I got from my new favorite blog laaloosh Tasted great was also good on taco salad.

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

1 1/4 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbsp sugar free fat free instant cheesecake pudding mix
1 tsp truvia

1.Place all ingredients into a blender. Pulse until smooth and serve. Makes 1 serving.

 

* I thought that this was pretty good I think that if I made it again I would just use regular milk. I think that the almond gave it a strange aftertaste. But it was ok my kids loved it and drank it up. I got this recipe from somethingswanky

Fruity Cereal Bars

3 T butter
1 package 10oz large marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup sliced dried apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries


1.In a large pan combine butter and marshmallows. Cook over med low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and add cereal,apples and cranberries.

2. Press into a 9x13 pan coated with non stick spray and cool. Cut into squares


Nutritional Facts(yields 20 squares) 1 bar equals 105 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 102 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

Strawberry Peach Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen strawberry slices
3/4 cup frozen peach slices
1 med firm banana
1/2 cup skim milk


1. Place all ingredents in a blender and mix until desired thickness.

* 110 calories per cup. This recipe is 2 servings. So yummy and fast to make great breakfast on the go.

Baked Cheese Sticks

Wonton or Egg-Roll Wraps, at room temperature
Light or Fat-free Mozzarella String Cheese
Marinara Sauce (Low-Sodium) for Dipping
Small bowl with water, optional


1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Take one of your room-temperature wraps and lay on flat surface in front of you, like a diamond.  Put cheese stick in middle, corner to corner

3. Take the bottom corner and fold it up over the cheese stick and stick to other side of wrap tightly.  You can add a few drops of the water here to make the wrap stick better.
4.  Carefully, fold over the right and left corners of the wrap onto the cheese stick to completely cover the cheese using water as needed for your "glue"

5.  Roll up the wrap.

6.  Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Three Cheese Spaghetti Squash

1 whole spaghetti squash
2 zucchini, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 25 oz jar of marinara sauce
1 15oz container fat free ricotta cheese
4 slices reduced fat provolone or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Soften spaghetti squash by poking the squash all over with a knife and cook in the microwave for 12 minutes, until soft. Let cool for about 10 minutes before handling.
3.Spray a medium sized, non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and set over medium high heat.
Add in the zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until zucchini becomes tender, about 5 minutes.

4.In a medium sized bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, oregano and basil. Fold in the cooked zucchini.
5.Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and with a fork, scrape the flesh from the peel. It should flake off easily in strings, resembling spaghetti.

6.Place the spaghetti squash flesh in a casserole dish. Spoon the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly throughout the squash. Pour tomato sauce over everything.

7.Layer cheese slices evenly on top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

 

 

 

Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is about 1 1/2 cup

PER SERVING: 221 calories; 6g fat; 21g carbohydrates; 14g protein; 5g fiber

I got this recipe from laaloosh.com So yummy. Its a little runny with all the sauce but the flavor is great and you get a huge portion for only 221 calories :)

Baked Peaches

1 fresh med peach
1 tsp. unsalted butter, divided (I used cant believe its not butter light)
2 to 4 tsp. brown sugar, divided ( I used splenda brown sugar)
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon, to taste

1.  Halve peaches and remove pit.  Place in baking dish, skin side down.

2.  Place 1/2 teaspoon butter in the hollow of each peach, top each peach half with 1 or 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

3.  Bake at 375 degrees until peaches are tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Each peach is 100 calories. (Yogurt is not calculated into the nutritional facts)

I got this recipe from thekitchenismyplayground This recipe is so good and tastes just like eating peach pie. I added about 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt.