Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Despite my healthy eating habits, Im still a total potato lover. I find, for myself anyhow, it's ALL about portion control. This doesnt mean that I eat potatoes or "bad carbs" on a daily basis but, every once in a while, Ill make a dish like this & really be able to enjoy it.

Recipe from Skinny Kitchen dot com.
Yields 4 servings.
108 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb small potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.
Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a medium bowl place potatoes & olive oil & toss to coat.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, & garlic powder over top &, again, toss to coat.

Roast for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, turn potatoes over & roast for another 20 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ive said it before but, my boyfriend loves bacon & one of the few veggies that we both like is asparagus so I felt that this was a rather fitting side for Sunday dinner last weekend. It was easy & reasonably fast.

My only real tip with this is to use two strips of bacon to wrap the bunches of asparagus because one just didnt hold very well. Unfortunately, that advice doesnt stay consistent with a low calorie count. So, what I did is wrap his bunches with two strips & mine with one strip.

Yields 4 servings.
180 calories per serving.
Unsure where this recipe came from.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb asparagus, washed
6 slices of bacon
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cut asparagus into 4 - 5 inch pieces.
Toss asparagus with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) & season with salt and pepper.
Separate asparagus into bunches of 4.
Starting at the bottom, wrap with one slice of bacon.
Repeat with remaining 3 bunches.

Place bunches on a broiling pan & bake at 500 for 5 minutes.
Turn them over & cook for 5 more minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 & bake for 20 more minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Breadsticks

My boyfriend loves bacon. It's his favourite food group. So, I figured this would be a perfect side to our Sunday dinner this week. (Im not posting the main course because it didnt turn out very well! D: Well, it wasnt bad but, it was a little dry. I saved the leftovers to see if maybe it's better re-heated.)

Anyways, this is very easy & fast. In hindsight, I probably shouldve served a vegetable in addition but, oh well. Next time.

Yields 6 breaksticks.
135 calories per serving.
Recipe from BHG dot com.

INGREDIENTS
8 oz pkg refrigerated breadsticks (12 count)
2 tbsp margarine, melted
1/4 parmesan cheese & more to top with
6 slices bacon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.

Unroll breadsticks & brush with margarine.
Sprinkle with 1/4 c parmesan.
Fold in half & wrap each breadstick with a slice of bacon.
Place breadsticks on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes & remove from oven.
Turn over & bake for 5 more minutes.
Set on paper towels to drain grease.



Make sure that you use a pan with ridges so that the bacon grease doesnt go all over your oven!

Asparagus with Red Peppers

I made this as a dinner side last night. It's not my most favourite thing that Ive made but still tasty, quick, & simple.

Yields 10 servings.
56 calories per serving.
Not sure where the recipe is from.

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs fresh asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, quartered & thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c red pepper, finely diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 hard boiled egg

DIRECTIONS
Cut and discard bases from asparagus & set aside.

In a large skillet, combine asparagus and a small amount of water.
Bring to a boil, cover, & cook for 3 minutes.
Drain well, set aside, & drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over.

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, cook onion, garlic, & remaining tbsp of olive oil.
Stir in red pepper & salt.
Spoon onto of asparagus.

Dice hard boiled egg & sprinkle over top.
Serve warm.



I ended up tossing all of this together because I wanted the flavors to mix a little more. Next time I make this, Ill probably cut the asparagus in half to make it a little easier to eat as a side dish.

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

Here I go again, tending to my garlic love affair. My boyfriend loves this as a side & we ate the entire side because it's so damned good. Not to mention fast, which is always a plus if you've got a complicated or time-consuming entree. Hell, Id probably just make this as a snack.

I sprinkled a little bit of parmesan on top when I was serving this, also. I love cheese almost more than I love garlic. [It's a pretty hard choice for me. Haha.]

Yields 4 servings.
126 calories per serving.
From skinnytaste.com.

INGREDIENTS


1.5 lbs broccoli florets
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450.

In a mixing bowl combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, & pepper.
Transfer to a baking dish & sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

Roast for about 20 minutes.



See? So fast!

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic

If any of you have noticed, Im a garlic junkie. I put garlic on EVERYTHING that I can manage. This recipe is no different. It was quick & freakin' delicious. We ate the entire dish of buttery (margarine-y?), garlicky, goodness. Of the three things I made last night, I made this last because of how fast it was. It took me maybe 10 minutes.

Yields 4 servings.
67 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tsp margarine (again, cutting down on the calories!)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Add beans & cook for 5 minutes.
Plunge beans into cold water & drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add margarine & oil; swirl until butter is melted.
Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds.
Remove garlic & set aside.
Add beans; sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes tossing frequently.
Top with garlic.