January 12, 2012: Low Cal Potato Cheese Soup Recipe

Although cheese isn’t the most diet-friendly food, it is packed with protein and you can’t deny yourself (myself) all the time. This recipe is very filling; a little cheese goes a long way.

Low Cal Potato Cheese Soup

1 t. butter

¼ cup chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, chopped

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 small Roma tomato, peeled and diced

1 roasted green chile, peeled and diced

3 red potatoes, cut into 1 ½” chunks

1 cup water

1 t. chicken bouillon

2 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

½ t. garlic salt

½ t. black pepper

1 cup 1% milk

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add white onion, garlic, white parts of green onions, and celery. Sauté for five minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in tomato, green chile, and potatoes. Add water and chicken bouillon; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, gently boiling potatoes for about 15 minutes or until soft.

Add cubes of cheese, salt, pepper and milk. Reduce heat to low and stir together just until cheese melts. To serve, top bowls of soup with green onions.

Serves 2 – 4 (two as a main dish, four as a side dish or appetizer) with calories of approximately 265 in a one-cup serving.

Tip: For a thicker soup, let it cool, then reheat slowly over low heat.

January 5, 2012: Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

I wanted to use a bit of leftover chicken I had in the freezer for dinner. My first thought was to make this chicken casserole that my husband so loves but, unfortunately, it’s filled with tons of calories. I decided, instead, to turn it into a lovely Oriental Chicken Salad. I used several different recipes to come up with this combination; the salad dressing is fat free and virtually calorie free so feel free to use as much as necessary to flavor your salad.

Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. Truvia

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

1 package ramen noodles

1 cup water

½ t. chicken bouillon

3 cups torn green leaf lettuce

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal

2 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

½ cup cooked, shredded chicken

3 baby carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 T. roasted sunflower seeds

Combine dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, whisking frequently. Cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate.

Bring cup of water to boiling in saucepot. Add ramen noodles and boillon. Boil for 3 minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool (noodles will absorb excess liquid).

Combine lettuce, cabbage, onions, mushrooms and celery. Toss with 1/3 to ½ cup of dressing. Place in serving bowl and top with chicken, ramen noodles, carrots and sunflower seeds.

Serves one with approximately 525 calories – but this is a BIG salad and has enough protein to satisfy.

November 2, 2011: Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Do you love mashed potatoes rich enough to be delicious even without gravy? Then these “smashed” potatoes are perfect. Try this recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner this year for a traditional side dish that is just a bit different.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

1 head garlic

Olive oil

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 T. chicken bouillon (or chicken stock base)

2 T. butter

½ t. garlic salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. dried minced parsley

½ cup heavy cream

Place the garlic, unpeeled, in a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Close the foil to make a package and place in a 350 degree oven (ideally, roast the garlic while you’re baking other dishes in the oven). Bake for about 30 minutes, until cloves are completely soft.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the potatoes, cauliflower and chicken bouillon. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Continue to gently boil until vegetables are tender. Drain.

Return the pot with the potatoes to the warm burner. Allow moisture to evaporate, about one minute. Add the butter, seasonings, and heavy cream. With a fork or potato masher, smash until creamy but still slightly chunky. Serve with a dollop of butter in the middle of the mound of potatoes.

Serves 4

BTW, today is my husband’s birthday. Happy Birthday, my dear sweet husband! His favorite food is hamburgers so that's what we're having tonight - as I stand outside in the dark and freeze in order to grill his burger!