What's For Dinner?

quick question Bay...can u use fresh spinach?

Hi 3girls

Not to override Bay, as it is her recipe...but when I make my spinach lentil tortellini soup, I use fresh spinach...though I put it in at the very end of the simmering time for the soup.

It's been a hectic couple of days and hard to keep up with posts. Last night I got home from work at 8pm (don't pity me too much, I went to work at 4). Had leftover minestrone soup- cranberry beans, ww pasta spirals, organic vegs, heavy on kale and italian seasonings- and whole grain basil parmesan bread w/1 t organic butter (yum!). I never tire of soups for dinner- mine are usually more like stews.

Today is a day off and I think it's time for another round of cooking ahead. Maybe time for some Indian dishes- Saag Aloo and Dal with Rice and Vegetables. Believe it or not Weight Watchers "Take Out Tonight" cookbook has some healthy and very authentic spins on traditional ethnic dishes, including these two. Allyson

Hi GIrls! I made this recipe and I thought I would share it here because it's a low fat, low calorie recipe and my family really liked it tonight! I am not sure where I got it but I know it originally came from Better Homes and Gardens: Here it is: (PS--it makes a bunch, and I had more stuffing than peppers to stuff so if you don't get really big peppers, get 6 insteand of five!!!)



Chicken-and-Rice-Stuffed Peppers

By : BH&G Low Cal, Low Fat Recipes

6 or 5 Points* per serving

 

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 10 3/4 oz. c condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup water or chicken broth

1 envelope single-serving-size instant onion soup mix -- about 1 tablespoon

4 cups cooked chicken -- cubed (I just got a roitesserie chicken from the grocery store, already cooked and shredded the meat )

3 cups hot cooked rice (I used rice a roni and it was good but maybe made it too salty overall!!)

6 large green sweet peppers -- 8 ounces each

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese(5 ounces)

 

MELT margarine or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and cook about 5 minutes or till tender. STIR in condensed mushroom soup, water or broth, and onion soup mix. Heat till bubbly. Stir in chicken; heat through. Stir in rice; remove from heat.

TO ASSEMBLE, halve peppers length-wise; remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut sides up, in a large shallow baking or roasting pan. Divide chicken mixture among the pepper halves. Sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

TO SERVE, bake peppers, loosely covered with foil, in a 350º oven about 55 minutes or till heated through. Top with cheese and pimiento. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or till cheese is just melted.

Makes 10 servings.

Per Serving: 285 Cal, 11g Total Fat(5g Sat Fat), 70mg Choles, 743mg Sod, 21g Carbo, 1g Fiber, 23g Pro. Food Exchanges: 1/2 Veg, 1 Starch, 3 Meat, 1 Fat.

*NOTE: Substitute low-fat cheddar cheese for cheddar cheese and cut to 5 POINTS.

I'm making vegetarian enchiladas tonight.  Our healthier eating is just about to do my DH in!  Now if I can just get him to stay away from the GS cookies for dessert!  When he breaks them out, I always seem to have a couple.  The new 100 calorie CinnaSpins are pretty good, but DH prefers the too tempting Caramel Delights.

It's been awhile.  Trying to catch up with all of you fine ladies (cooks)!  I am getting the ingredients to make the lentil soup Bay!  I will make it within the next week or so, and keep some in the freezer, so that I have it when I am down for 3-4 weeks from my surgery on Feb. 4th.  Trying to prepare some meals ahead of time. Tonight...well, my 16yr olds fav is Tuna Noodle Casserole...so that is what we are having.  Along with non-sweetened applesauce with cinnamon, and fresh (either) broccoli or asparagus. Talk to everyone later! Have a great day! P.S...Bay, I couldn't agree more on the healthy eating.  I just often wonder...I ate well, excercised, took care of my body..no smoking..and I still got this blasted disease! xoxo Lisa

Bay- I can't even imagine you eating junk food. You know it is so weird but I did not get a taste in my mouth from chemo or weird cravings except maybe a little bit for kalamata olives. Seems like I got off easy. Dinner tonight is the other half of the salmon I got for lunch out- fabulous- probably due to the extra fat content- yum! I am also going to have a mountain of vegetables to make up for the ones I didn't eat during the day- so far have only had dried cranberries, an apple, and a few green beans. I've been back to running mixed with walking- so far so good as far as injuries not coming back. Allyson

I made the unstuffed cabbage from the recipe posted here and it was very good...   I didn't have crushed tomatoes so I used diced tomatoes instead .... also didn't have white vinegar so I used rice vinegar ... thank you for sharing the recipe! 

this weekend I'm planning to make sushi ... I've never made it before but have been wanting to  ... I've got the seaweed, the sushi rice (and a good recipe for the rice), ingredients to put in side (crab, carrots, cucumber, avacado, etc. I've also got the bamboo mat to roll the sushi with ...  wish me luck!  

Doreen   

Rosemary..thank you..that sounds very yummy!  I love pinenuts!

Bay,  My comfort food was tuna casserole, I thought I had posted that earlier..maybe not..haha.  Veggies were, steamed broccoli, and then unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon.

I have just over a week till my big surgery!! I do have help coming in.  My very dear lifetime friend (we started off in the playpen together) of 48 yrs, who went with me to every chemo visit, is going to come to my house and help me the first week.  I have made up some meals and froze them.  I am going to make a big pot of the lentil soup recipe you gave me.  So, yes I will have help, thank goodness!

xoxo

Lisa

I'm glad you enjoyed the spinach recipe.  That side dish was better than my meal.

I have a potato, cabbage, parsnip soup recipe,  there's no calories in it.  My friend sent it to me, and it's really full of nutrients.

3 cups unpeeled russet potatoes, (I cut them into chunks)

2 cups chopped carrots

1 half of small cabbage sliced long

2 cups of peeled chopped parsnips

1 large onion sliced long and thick

1/2 tsp. thyme

½ tsp. Sage

½ tsp. basil

2 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper or more

1 cup lo-fat milk

1 can progresso tomato & basil soup

enough water to slightly cover veggies in pot

Sour cream to dollop on top of soup when served.

1. You'll need a large pot

2. Add potatoes, onion, carrots, cabbage, parsnips, and all seasonings to pot, add water to just cover or a little less.  

3. Bring soup to a boil & simmer, about 45 min. or until vegetables are tender

4. Then add milk & tomato soup & heat gently until soup is heated through.

Serve and add the dollop of sour cream to the bowl.

Ok, there's a few calories.  Taste it after 10 mins of cooking I might be low on the seasonings.

If you go look at the dip recipe thread you can see the one for the healthy artichoke dip.

I am going to try using the dip as a filling for my boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  

Pound out the chicken breasts. Then put finely chopped walnuts, pine nuts or cashews on the chicken breasts. Then put avocado or asparagus and then roll them shut ... instead of toothpicks I use one or two pieces of turkey bacon to hold them shut (My unhealthy recipe uses real bacon and more pieces and they look like mini footballs!)    I will use this dip instead of the avocado ....   I might even eliminate most of the nuts since the chicken is enough protein .. but a few is good for the crunch.

I have leftover braised lamb shanks for dinner. Going to add some brown rice for the sauce, and a side of that fabulous sounding spinach. If I don't have raisins, I'll try dried cranberries or tart cherries.

Anne