Monthly Archives: February 2016

Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Mona’s Family Favorites: This is my go-to weekday dinner and it takes only 25 minutes to prepare! My stir-fry is packed with “fresh from the farm” chicken, broccoli, peppers, and carrots (not to mention that it can be on your table in the amount of time spent waiting for takeout). For a full meal, serve over steamed white rice (100 calories per ½ cup) or, my preference, whole-grain brown rice (110 calories per ½ cup).

Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 4 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 16 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (can use reduced-sodium)
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
Directions
  1. Cut the chicken breasts into ¾-inch chunks, and then toss in 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch to lightly coat on all sides.
  2. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the coated chicken to the skillet, and sauté for 3 minutes, or until it begins to brown.
  3. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic to the skillet, and sauté for 3 minutes.
  4. Add the broccoli florets, and reduce the heat to medium.
  5. Whisk the soy sauce, honey, ginger, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the chicken broth, and then stir into the skillet, stirring until the sauce begins to simmer and thicken.
  6. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the carrots are tender.
Perfect Portion Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry

HELPFUL TIP: Chopped fresh broccoli can be used in place of the frozen broccoli florets, but it should be boiled or steamed for 4 minutes, just until crisp-tender, before adding to the stir-fry.
Serving size: ⅔ cup Calories: 100

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Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This popular restaurant appetizer is known for being not only delicious, but also high in calories. By substituting thick and creamy Greek yogurt for the cream cheese or mayonnaise that is typically used, we’ve been able to keep the flavor you love while allowing for a larger protein and calcium-packed portion size. For the least-calorie dippers, serve with celery and carrot sticks.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip
 
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Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 5 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
  • 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 8 ounces nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 ¼ cups shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a fine mesh strainer, squeeze as much water from the thawed spinach as possible.
  3. Place the drained spinach in a large mixing bowl, and add all the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
  4. Transfer the dip to a 1 ½-quart baking dish, and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve warm.
Perfect Portion Spinach & Artichoke Dip

HELPFUL TIP: Using shredded Parmesan cheese adds that gooey cheese texture that you can’t quite get from grated; however, you can substitute 1 cup of grated Parmesan in a pinch.
Serving size: ⅓ cup Calories: 100

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Buffalo Wings

No need to deep-fry your wings anymore to get that amazing crunch and flavor. You can get the same result by tossing the wings with a mere tablespoon of oil and roasting them in a hot oven, leaving them golden brown, crisp, and unbelievably delicious. Be sure to serve them with cut celery sticks.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Buffalo Wings
 
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Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 32 Winngs/Drumettes or 16 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds chicken wing sections (wings and drumettes)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If necessary, split wings from drumettes by cutting at the joint. If wing tips (see tip) are intact, cut tips at the joint and discard.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings in a mixture of the canola oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Spread the wings in a single layer on a sheet pan, and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the skin is browned and crispy, and cutting into the largest drumette reveals juices that run clear.
  4. Combine butter and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add the baked wings, and toss to coat with the sauce before serving.
Perfect Portion Buffalo Wings

HELPFUL TIP: Whole chicken wings have three distinct sections: the drumette, the wing, and the wing tip. Wing tips are the smallest of the three sections and are almost entirely bone and skin. They are best discarded or saved for making chicken stock.
Serving size: 1 wing or drum Calories: 100

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Meatballs Marinara & Tuscan Tomato Sauce

Mona’s Family Favorites: It’s so great when you can bring a fantastic vacation memory home with you by preparing a traditional weeknight meal. And even better, this meal is delicious, simple to make, and has a healthy twist! We combine my spinach-packed Tuscan Tomato Sauce with the meatballs for a great blend of protein and greens. By using leaner meat and baking the meatballs, you save on calories without any compromise on flavor. The trick is in the simmering, which makes the meatballs nice and tender. Thanks, Chef Luca! Serve over spaghetti (100 calories per ½ cup cooked).

Meatballs Marinara
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 6 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 1 batch Tuscan Tomato Sauce
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ½ pounds (93%) lean ground beef
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • ¼ cup minced yellow onion
  • ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Prepare the Tuscan Tomato Sauce according to the recipe’s directions. Cover, and let sit over warm heat.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and spray a large sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine all of the remaining ingredients to make the meatball mixture.
  4. Form the meatball mixture into 36 meatballs that are 1 inch tall (about the size of a ping-pong ball). Place on the prepared sheet pan.
  5. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes.
  6. Raise the heat on the tomato sauce to a simmer, and add the baked meatballs into the sauce.
  7. Cover, and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Meatballs Marinara

HELPFUL TIP: Using extra lean (98%) ground turkey in place of the ground beef will lower the calories in this recipe to only 85 calories per 2 meatballs with sauce.
Serving size: 2 meatballs - 3tbsp sauce Calories: 100

Mona’s Family Favorites: This past spring, my family and I took a once-in-a-lifetime cooking class in Montepulciano, in the Tuscan region of Italy. Our chefs and hosts, Luca and Stefania of Villa Poggiano, taught us that the simpler the ingredients, the better the tomato sauce. While we only used a handful of ingredients, including fresh basil and spinach, to make this amazing sauce, the flavors melded into something far more than the sum of its parts. Isn’t that what great cooking is all about? Today, I use this as my go-to sauce for all of my Italian dishes. Delicioso!

Tuscan Tomato Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 6 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can puréed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a stockpot over medium heat. Sauté for 2 minutes, just until garlic is fragrant.
  2. Add the puréed tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
  3. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the fresh spinach to the sauce, and let cook for 5 additional minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Tuscan Tomato Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: Puréed or crushed San Marzano tomatoes are traditionally used in Italy. You can often find these in cardboard cartons near the canned tomato products in the grocery store. Puréed makes a thick and smooth sauce, while crushed makes a thin and chunky sauce.
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Baked Ham & Egg Cups

These baked egg cups taste like a ham, egg, and cheese breakfast take-out sandwich, only without the bread. Baked in muffin cups, they make an easy grab-and-go breakfast that you can prepare in advance and warm in the microwave before serving—though they are best fresh from the oven with slightly runny yolks.

Baked Ham & Egg Cups
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Makes: 2 Breakfast portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ⅛ pound (2 ounces) thinly sliced lean deli ham
  • 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
  • 4 large eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, and spray 4 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Place a thin slice of ham into each prepared muffin cup, and press the ham against the sides of the cups to follow the natural shape of the pan.
  3. Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of green onions into each lined cup, and then crack a fresh egg over the top of the ham and onions in each.
  4. Lightly season each egg with salt and pepper, and then bake for 10 minutes.
  5. Top each egg with a light sprinkling of Cheddar cheese, and return to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until whites are firm and cheese has melted. Serve garnished with additional sliced green onions, if desired.
Perfect Portion Baked Ham & Egg Cups

HELPFUL TIP: Thinly sliced ham is essential, as thicker ham will not form to the shape of the muffin cups. For larger ovals of sliced deli ham, you may need to cut each slice into four pieces and overlap the pieces to fit into the muffin cups.
Serving size: 1 egg cup Calories: 100

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