Light Recipes

[clemsonfan]

Post your light recipes here. Some people might want them to lose weight, others are just trying to eat healthier. Personally, I'm always on the look out for new light recipes.



Mediterranean Ricotta, Feta, and Spinach Pie

10 oz. fresh spinach, cooked per package directions
1 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
1 c reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 lg eggs
1/2 c fat-free half-and-half
1/3 c crumbled feta cheese
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of grated fresh netmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Cool the spinach, then lightly squeeze out the excess liquid. Coarsley chop.
3. Lightly coat a 9" pie dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with bread crumbs to coat.
4. With a wooden spoon, beat together all the remaining ingredients. Stir in spinach.
5. Pour the filling into the prepared dish, smooth the top, and bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is slightly puffed and rounded. (The center may be slightly lower.) Let the pie stand for 5 minutes.
8 servings

This recipe is a good source of vitamins A and C, and folate.
74 cal, 5g pro, 4 g carb, 2 g sat. fat, 88 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 304 mg sodium
2 Weight Watcher Points

[cuddlyevil]

I'm a fan of anything involving cous cous, I make a cous cous salad thingy as a side in the summer:

1 box cous cous (prepared according to box instructions)
Cherry or grape tomatoes--quartered
Scalions-diced

Your choice:
Italian dressing, balsamic vinegar.

Toss it all together and serve. Can be served hot or cold.

[clemsonfan]

This is fast, delicious, & vegetarian!

Chile Cheese Rice Burritos

6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup cooked spanish rice (the Uncle Ben's ready rice is perfect)
3/4 cup shredded low fat pepper jack cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup fat free sour cream


Preheat oven to 250 F.
Warm tortillas in the oven.
While tortillas are warming, heat a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat until hot. Add zucchini, chiles, and onions and saute for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in the rice, cheese, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
Fill warmed tortillas with rice mixture.


Yummy even if you don't typically like zucchini! Even Butter approves and he's picky!

[AngelV]

I'm a fan of anything involving cous cous, I make a cous cous salad thingy as a side in the summer:

Your post inspired me to pick up a box of cous cous last night while grocery shopping. I haven't had any in ages. I didn't make the exact salad, but made it with chopped tomatoes and basil for my lunch today.

[clemsonfan]

Basil-Lemon Bowties

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium size clove garlic, minced
1 (8-ounce) package medium sized bowtie pasta
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
12 large leaves basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bowties and cook according to package directions.

Stack 5 to 6 basil leaves at a time, roll them up tight and slice across the roll, spacing cuts 1/8-inch apart or less. Repeat with more leaves until quantity reaches 1/2 cup. Heat oil in a large skillet over low for 1 minute. Add garlic and saute, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add well drained bowties and toss well until well coated with garlic oil mixture. Add lemon juice and zest, basil, salt and pepper, and toss until basil wilts. Add parmesan cheese.

[MissKitty]

Light, No Bake Lasagna

1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 lbs chopped plum tomatoes (about 4 Cups)
1/3 Cup + 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 Cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup (packed) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
8 lasagna noodles - freshly cooked and cut crosswise in half
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and their juices, and simmer until slightly thickened--about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in 1/3 cup basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. In a seperate pot, Stir ricotta over medium-low heat until just heated through. Add the mozzarella and stir until just melted. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of four shallow bowls. Place two hot lasagna noodles side by side atop the sauce.
6. Top each wtih 1/4 of the cheese mixture, then two more noodles halves.
7. Divide the remaining sauce among the bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining fresh basil.

Serves 4

[MissKitty]

Pasta in Southwest Sauce

1/4 Cup dry sherry
1 tsp oilive oil
1 Tbs garlic - minced
1/4 Cup shallots -minced
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
2 large ripe tomatoes - seeded and coarsely chopped (or 1 1/2 Cups chopped canned plum tomatoes)
1/2 lb fresh pasta of choice
2 Tbs fresh basil - chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley - chopped

1. Heat sherry and oil to bubbling in a heavy skillet over med-hi heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for about three minutes, stirring.
2. Add sun-dried tomatoes, jalapenos and fresh tomatoes. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
3. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until tender. Stir often to prevent sticking.
4. Drain pasta well. Rinse briefly with hot water to remove excess starch, then drain again.
5. Add pasta to sauce in skillet, and sprinkle with basil and parsley. Toss well and serve.

Serves 2

(per serving 282 calories, 8 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 45 grams carbs, 0 cholesterol, 155 mg sodium 1 gram fiber)
**select pasta wtih no egg yolks, otherwise you will add cholesterol to the dish**

[clemsonfan]

Mmmmmm...those look yummy!

[redbobsled]

We had the basil lemon bowties for dinner tonight.  We both agreed that they were very yummy and easy to make.  We will be having them again soon!  It was the perfect dinner with a mixed green salad on the side.

[AngelV]

From the November 2004 issue of SHAPE magazine:

Vegetarian Chili with Couscous

Serves 4
Prep time: 10mins
Cook time: 10mins

Note: For the perfect autumnal presentation, serve chili in a steamed butternut or acorn-squash "bowl." To make, simply halve the squash, remove seeds, place halves upside-down in a shallow baking dish and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes, until fork-tender.

2 tsps olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tbsps chili powder
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium vegetable broth or water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c uncooked whole-wheat couscous
4 tsps non-fat sour cream
4 tsps chopped chives

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic and jalapeño and sauté 2 minutes. Add herbs, spices and salt. Stir well to coat vegetables. Add tomatoes, broth and beans and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add couscous and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Ladle chili into bowls and top servings with 1 tsp each sour cream and chives.

Nutrition Score per serving (2 cups chili, 1 tsp sour cream): 493 calories, 8% fat (4g, <1g saturated), 71% carbs (88g), 21% protein (26g), 25g fiber, 157mg calcium, 10mg iron, 815mg sodium.

[MissKitty]

Angel that recipe sounds like the chippity-chomp. I can hardly wait to try it!

[AngelV]

Me either, MK! I'm probably going to gather up the ingredients and make the chili over the weekend. It's 58 degrees outside and I love it! Perfect chili and soup weather. I stopped by the store tonight for butternut squash soup and some crusty multi-grain bread. Yum!

[clemsonfan]

I thought I'd bump this since the weight loss contest is starting soon. Anyone have some new light recipes out there?

[cuddlyevil]

Ditto to what c-fan said, anyone got some great, light summer recipes? Having to monitor my weight during my pregnancy will be lots easier if I've got a good number of light recipes.

C-fan, pick up this month's issue of cooking light (I think that's what I picked up Sunday, I'll bring it into work with me tomorrow), it's got loads of great sounding recipes (there are some curry recipes that I'm dying to try--and that Steve'll eat) and most are fast to prepare. I'll post a couple tomorrow.

[cuddlyevil]

Here's one I just realized I'll be able to do all summer, I ripped it off from the olive garden:

Capellini pomodoro:

1 box capellini (or pasta of your choice)
diced roma tomatoes
fresh basil
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
olive oil

Cook the pasta according to box instructions. Drain and toss with olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and basil.   Serve.

(you can also do the sauce ahead of time, there's a recipe I have that basically has the same ingredients, but you leave it in a bowl (covered) on the counter for several hours to let the flavors mix together)