Fried Rice

Okay, who doesnt love Chinese take out?  Now, imagine if you could make friend rice that tasted just as delicious with not nearly as many calories.  Read on, people.  Ive had this for lunch once so far this week & I had coworkers ask me where I ordered from.  Success!

Recipe from Better Homes.
Yields 4 servings.
141 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 stalk celery, sliced
3/4 c fresh mushrooms, sliced
9 oz brown rice, cooked
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 scallions, sliced

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine eggs & tsp of soy sauce.
Set aside.

Pour sesame oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add garlic & egg mixture and stir to scramble.
Remove from skillet & set aside.

In the same skillet, pour 1 tbsp cooking oil & heat over medium-high.
Stir fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute.
Add mushrooms & cook for 2 more minutes.
Add cooked rice & peas & sprinkle with 2 tbsp soy sauce.
Cook for 6 minutes until heated through.
Add scrambled egg mixture & green onions.
Cook & stir for 1 more minute.

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing

Cheese, veggies, & chickpeas?  Um, yes please!

Recipe from Eating Well.
Yields 4 servings.
122 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 c crumbled feta cheese

1/4 c non-fat plain yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz broccoli, chopped

7 oz chick peas

1/2 c red pepper

DIRECTIONS

Whisk feta, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, & pepper in a bowl until smooth.

Pour over broccoli, chick peas, & pepper.

Toss to coat.

Fast, easy, & friggen delicious!

Rotini Primavera

Another delicious Sunday dinner.

Recipe from The Low-Fat Way To Cook.
Yields 6 servings.
294 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

Pam

1.5 c zucchini, diced

1/2 c mushrooms, sliced

1/4 c onions, chopped

1.5 tbsp margarine

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp salt

3 c tri-colored rotini, cooked

16 oz kidney beans, drained

6 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded

1.5 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat a skillet with cooking spray & place over medium heat until hot.

Add zucchini, mushrooms, & onions & saute until tender.

Remove from heat & set aside.

Melt margarine in the same skillet over medium heat.

Add flour & stir until smooth.

Cooking 1 minute stirring constantly until thick & bubbley.

Remove from heat & stir in basil, oregano, & salt.

Combine sauce mixture, veggie mixture, pasta, beans, & mozzarella cheese in a large bowl & stir well.

Pour mixture into casserole dish.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Cover & bake for 20 minutes.

Uncover & bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Potato Wedges

Potatoes & garlic : two of my favorite things.  This also sates my obsession with roasted vegetables.

Recipe from BHG dot com.
Yields 4 servings.
145 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium red potatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Scrub potatoes thoroughly & cut lengthwise into quarters.

Cook potatoes, covered, for 10 minutes & drain.

In a small bowl combine garlic, olive oil, paprika, salt, & pepper.

Place on a baking sheet & spoon mixture over potatoes.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Slow Cooked Beans

This recipe is kind of plain but, very filling & pretty simple.  To add a little bit of extra flavor, I threw a little bit of cheddar cheese on top.  It didnt affect the calorie count much at all.

Recipe from Eating Well.
Yields 6 servings.
260 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb dried northern white beans

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp thyme

5 c water

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Place beans in a large pot & bring to a boil over high heat.

Remove from heat & let stand for an hour.

Drain the beans & place them in the slow cooker.

Add onion, thyme, & garlic.

Pour in water & cook covered for 2 to 3 hours.

Rice & Beans with Cheese

My dad is a good old Southern boy so, red beans & rice have always been on our dinner table.  This is a little bit different but a similar idea.  It's a little more calorie heavy than I usually like but, there's a lot of protein so this would seem to be a much more filling meal.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens.
Yields 6 servings.
282 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 c water

2/3 c brown rice

1/2 c scallions, sliced

1/4 tsp salt

15 oz can pinto beans

1 c low-fat cottage cheese

8 oz plain yogurt

1/2 c low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large saucepan combine water, rice, scallions, & salt.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, & let simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in pinto beans, cottage cheese, & yogurt.

Pour into a baking dish.

Cover & bake for 25 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with cheddar cheese, & bake for 5 more minutes.

Penne with Ricotta & Asparagus

I have nothing really all that fun to say about this other than I love asparagus.

Recipe from BHG dot com.
Yields 2 servings.
252 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz whole wheat penne

2 c asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large tomato, seeded

1/2 c light ricotta cheese

2 tbsp basil

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta according to box, adding asparagus the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Drain & keep warm.

In a bowl mix ricotta cheese, basil, thyme, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, & pepper.

Add the pasta mixture to the ricotta mixture & toss to gently coat.

Sprinkle with parmesan & serve.