January 26, 2012: Lite Chicken Cordon Bleu Rollups Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu is one of my favorite recipes. Of course, it isn’t the best kind of dish to prepare when you’re trying to lose weight, like I am. I ran across this recipe from Rocco DiSpirito in the Arizona Republic recently and in true Candy fashion, tweaked it a bit to make it easier to prepare. It passed the “hubby likes it” test so this is one I’ll be making again.

Lite Chicken Cordon Bleu Rollups

4 slices whole wheat bread

4 t. Dijon mustard

4 slices deli-style roasted chicken breast

4 slices deli-style ham

2 sticks string cheese, cut in half vertically

Olive oil cooking spray

With a rolling pin, flatten slices of bread so they are quite thin. Spread each slice of bread with a teaspoon of mustard. Top each slice with a piece of chicken breast, a piece of ham and one half piece of string cheese. Starting at the end with the piece of cheese, roll up tightly. Place seam side down on a microwaveable bowl; microwave on high for one minute.

Spray a frying pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat to medium low. Add chicken rollups and spray tops of the rollups with cooking spray. Cook, turning one quarter turn every few minutes and spraying tops with cooking spray, until crispy on all outer edges. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Serves 2 – 4 depending on appetite (one of these was plenty for me but my husband ate two)

Note: The string cheese never really melts but it should be soft. You can substitute another type of low fat cheese if you want the inside of these rollups to be melty soft.

January 21, 2012: Skinny Fruit Salad Recipe

This recipe is courtesy of my friend, Kathy. Together she and I try to walk each day and watch what we eat in order to lose a few pounds and/or maintain our weight. We’ve been doing this almost as long as we’ve known each other and we frequently share recipes we’ve found to be successful in helping us eat right. This is one that Kathy makes often because of its simplicity and its taste. It’s a bit too sour for me, but if you agree you can add a packet of artificial sweetener or Stevia.

This makes a great side dish for a light meal or could even be breakfast, along with a cup of yogurt topped with granola.

Skinny Fruit Salad

1 large grapefruit

2 oranges

1 sweet apple

Peel the citrus fruit. Cut each segment into 2 – 3 pieces. Grate the apple. Combine all the fruit in a bowl and let sit for a couple hours or overnight to extract the juices.

Tip: You can also turn this into a savory salad by adding thing rings of red onion, chopped avocado and some herbs. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar would top off these flavors nicely.

January 19, 2012: Skinny Fries Recipe

Just because you’re watching your weight doesn’t mean you have to avoid potatoes. The potatoes themselves are not a bad food; it’s only when you add things like butter and sour cream or fry them in oil that they become less than healthy. This recipe will alleviate your craving for French fries with just a fraction of the calories and none of the guilt.

Skinny Fries served as a side to Roasted New York Strip steak and cooked carrots.

Skinny Fries

1 large Russet potato

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

½ t. Kosher salt

1 t. dried parsley (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley)

Scrub the potato and cut lengthwise into about 20 skinny sticks. Soak in cold water for half an hour. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, in small skillet add garlic to one teaspoon oil. Heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain garlic from oil.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potato sticks with garlic-infused oil and salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place potatoes in a single layer on sheet. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until crispy and golden, turning once. Add reserved garlic and parsley to potatoes.

Serves 2.

January 16, 2012: Roasted New York Strip Steak with Wine Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good steak. Yes, I know, steak is best when it’s grilled but it’s also good when you roast it like this recipe. Give it a try and see what you can think.

Roasted New York Strip Steak with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

2 (4) ounce, thick cut New York strip steaks

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 t. olive oil, divided

1 T. minced shallot

4 mushrooms, quartered

¼ cup dry red wine

¼ cup beef stock

2 t. Dijon mustard

¼ cup fat free half and half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with Montreal Steak Seasoning. Heat an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is ideal) to medium heat. Add one teaspoon of the olive oil. Sear the steak on both sides in the skillet, about one minute per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer steak to cutting board; tent with foil.

While steak is resting, add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to skillet and heat on top of stove to medium. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan and sauté for about one minute, until veggies are slightly softened. Add wine and beef stock. Cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Dijon mustard and half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2 with calories of about 294 per serving

January 15, 2012: Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions Recipe

Here’s another recipe I devised based loosely on one I found in the current issue of Cooking Light magazine. My recipe makes it just a bit more diet-friendly and the best part? My husband absolutely loved this dish! He said it tasted as if I’d fried up sausage in the pan and then added the pork, which made him believe there were plenty of fat calories when it reality, it is quite healthy and low cal.

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin served with Whole Wheat Linguine with Vegetables and Slow Cooker Sesame Green Beans

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions

1 t. minced ginger

1 t. honey

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. rice wine vinegar

½ t. Asian red chili sauce

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced horizontally into 3 thick pieces

1 t. olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a glass dish and add pork loin pieces. Marinate, refrigerated, a minimum of two hours.

Heat a heavy skillet to medium high. Add olive oil. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and carefully add to hot skillet, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook medallions for about 3 – 5 minutes each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through. Add remaining marinade and about 1/3 cup of water to deglaze the hot pan and make a sauce. To serve, place one medallion on each plate and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each.

3 servings, 312 calories each

January 14, 2012: Low Fat Asian Linguine With Vegetables Recipe

I know I’ve shared other recipes for Asian style pasta but with this one I took care to make it as low calorie as possible and I believe I succeeded nicely. The portion sizes aren’t big, but pasta is filling and it doesn’t take a large quantity to serve this as a side dish.

Note: The Oriental salad dressing I used was left over from the Oriental Chicken Salad recipe I prepared on January 5^th.

Low Fat Asian Linguine served with Asian Pork Tenderloin and Slow Cooker Sesame Green Beans

Low Fat Asian Linguine With Vegetables

2 ounces whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 cup Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 Green onion, cut on the bias
2 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1/3 cup Oriental salad dressing

Cook linguine in boiling water as directed on package with broccoli; drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the pepper and white parts of the onion (reserve the green parts) and stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Mix in reserved linguine and broccoli and add salad dressing. To serve, top with slices of reserved green onion and basil leaves.

Serves 2 with about 90 calories each serving

January 13, 2012: Slow Cooker Low Cal Sesame Green Beans Recipe

Looking for a diet-friendly side dish to go with an Asian-style main dish? These green beans fit the bill nicely. Not only are they flavorful, they are low in fat and can cook away in your Crock pot throughout the day or afternoon.

Slow Cooker Low Cal Sesame Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans

½ t. sesame oil

½ t. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced on the diagonal

1 shallot, chopped (about ¼ cup)

½ t. garlic salt

2/3 t. sesame seeds, toasted*
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remove the ends of the green beans and snap each into two or three bite-size pieces.

Place the oils in a slow cooker set on low. Add the garlic and shallots, topped by the green beans. Sprinkle all with garlic salt and sesame seeds. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours (or high for 2 hours), until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Serves 2 large servings with 71.4 calories in each serving.

*To easily toast sesame seeds, heat a small, heavy pan to medium heat on the stove; add sesame seeds and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Note: The longer you cook these green beans, the softer they will become. If you want them semi-crisp, don't cook longer than 2 hours.

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 11, 2012: Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken Recipe

I bought the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine because I was intrigued by the front cover, which promised dozens of new chicken recipes. We eat a lot of chicken and finding new ways to make it in a calorie-conscious manner is always appealing to me. I ended up combining a couple different recipes to come up with this delicious combination. Be forewarned, however, the cooked chicken turns a deep purple color (from the pomegranate juice) which some might find off-putting.

Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken

2 t. olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ t. salt

2 T. minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. Truvia or other sugar substitute

½ t. dried sage

1 t. cider vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat one teaspoon of olive oil to medium. Quickly sear the chicken pieces on both sides (about 1 – 2 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate to rest.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for about one minutes, until softened. Add pomegranate juice and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Truvia, sage, vinegar and mustard and heat through.

Place chicken pieces in pan and turn over to coat both sides with sauce. Place in oven and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

Serves 4 with approximately 287 calories per serving.

January 10, 2012: Slow Cooked Potatoes and Mushrooms Recipe

Most slow cooker recipes combine meat and vegetables but this can muddy the flavors and be detrimental to texture. Next time you’re in a time pinch, consider putting the night’s dinner veggies in a crock pot before you leave for work and then simply broil or sauté a protein to go with it when you get home. This recipe is also great to make a nutritious side dish for a party or buffet.

Slow Cooked Potatoes and Mushrooms

3 medium-sized red potatoes, cut into eights

4 large brown mushrooms, quartered

1 small white onion, cut into lengthwise chunks

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ t. Seasoned salt

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of crock pot; sprinkle with seasoned salt and kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Layer vegetables on top. Sprinkle lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 4 to 6 hours, until potatoes are soft.

Serves 2 with 272 calories per serving