Comfort Food

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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Lillian’s Grilled Cheese

Anson’s American Treasures: Ahh…a warm, crispy grilled cheese sandwich reminds me of my childhood best friend Jeff Schredder who lived two doors away. His mom Lillian made the best grilled cheese ever. She took care in making them, from spreading the butter to getting the perfect flame on the stove. Gooey and buttery every time. Bob and Mona want to share their love of grilled cheese with you, too. By combining Cheddar and ultra-creamy American, they produced the perfect balance of flavor and texture ever. This recipe is filled with love and comfort.

Lillian's Grilled Cheese
 
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Recipe type: Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
Makes: 1 Lunch portion
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 2 slices light white bread
  • 3 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 slice American cheese
Directions
  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, just until
  2. melted.
  3. Place the 2 slices of white bread in the skillet to butter both slices at the same time. Remove 1 slice and set aside.
  4. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the bread in the skillet, and then top with the American cheese.
  5. Place the reserved slice of buttered bread, buttered side up, over the top of the cheeses to make a complete sandwich.
  6. Let cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the outside with melted cheese on the inside.
Perfect Portion Lillians Grilled Cheese

HELPFUL TIP: Light bread is sold in loaves in the normal bread aisle. It usually contains only 40–45 calories per slice and far more fiber than ordinary white bread.
Serving size: ⅓ sandwhich Calories: 100

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Classic Tomato Soup

A steamy bowl of tomato soup is about as comforting as comfort food can get! We use a little flour for thickening, yielding a soup that’s so rich and creamy you’d swear there is cream in it. Serve with crusty bread, or go for that most classic combination and serve alongside our gooey Lillian’s Grilled Cheese for dipping.

Classic Tomato Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soups, Salads & Sandwiches
Makes: 4 Lunch portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat, until butter has melted.
  2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the flour, and stir until the onions are evenly coated.
  4. Add all the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove from heat, and use an immersion (hand) blender to purée the soup, until smooth. You can also do this in a traditional blender or food processor, but it may take 2–3 batches. Serve garnished with additional chopped basil, if desired.
Perfect Portion Classic Tomato Soup

HELPFUL TIP: It is safest to let the soup cool for at least 15 minutes before blending. After blending, return to the pot and warm before serving.
Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to portion control, few recipes are as a famously tempting as Chocolate Chip Cookies. We’ve slightly adjusted the classic ingredients to give you the the buttery, caramelized, chocolate-flecked cookies you love at only 100 calories a pop.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 36 Cookies or 18 Dessert portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray 3 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl or electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg, egg white, and vanilla extract until well combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding until all is combined into a dough. Fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
  5. Drop tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, at least 2 ½ inches apart, and press lightly to flatten. You should have enough dough to make 3 dozen cookies.
  6. Bake each sheet of cookies for 13 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Chocolate Chip Cookie

HELPFUL TIP: For the most even cooking, it is best to bake these in three batches rather than filling your oven racks all at once, as that limits the flow of hot air.
Serving size: 1 cookie Calories: 100

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Carrot Cake Bars

Bob’s Farm to Table: Carrot cake is my perfect comfort food dessert. This delicious dessert bar is ultra moist with a rich presence of comforting, warm spices. Applesauce works as a perfect substitute for a portion of the oil by adding moisture and no grease. Top with a coating of cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Bars
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 36 Carrot Cake Bars
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray an 11 x 15-inch half-sheet cake or jellyroll pan with nonstick cooking spray. For easier release, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, carrots, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by putting all the frosting ingredients in an electric mixer and beating until smooth and creamy.
  7. For 100 calorie bars, cut the cake into 6 rows by 6 rows to make 36 bars.
  8. Spread a thin layer of frosting on each bar before serving (this looks better if done after cutting the cake).
Frosting:

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Perfect Portion Carrot Cake Bars

HELPFUL TIP: For the best presentation, use a pastry bag to pipe a large dot of the frosting in the center of each bar, rather than spreading a thin layer.
Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 100

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Boneless BBQ Ribs

Bob’s Farm to Table: Most pork ribs are riddled with fat, however boneless “country- style ribs” are cut from the pork loin, making them a far leaner, healthier option. We cook them low and slow, first coated with a spice rub and covered, and finally smeared with barbecue sauce and uncovered to caramelize. These sticky, sweet ribs “melt in your mouth” every time, just the way mom used to make them for Saturday night dinners on the farm!

Boneless BBQ Ribs
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 4 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless loin country-style ribs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 batch Blue Ribbon Barbecue Sauce
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to toss ribs in the olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, rubbing the oil and spices into the meat.
  3. Transfer the rubbed ribs to a sheet pan, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 2 hours.
  4. Drain the pan of all liquid, and coat the ribs with the Blue Ribbon Barbecue Sauce. Return to the oven, and bake, uncovered, for 1 additional hour before serving.
Perfect Portion Boneless BBQ Ribs

HELPFUL TIP: The nutritional information in this recipe was calculated for country-style ribs cut from the pork loin, not the shoulder. The pork loin variety is the most popular and easiest to find, though some stores will sell both varieties.
Serving size: 1½ oz Ribs with sauce Calories: 100

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100 Calorie Brownie Bites

Mona’s Family Favorites: I LOVE chocolate! I found that using semisweet chocolate chips produced knockout fudgy flavor and allowed us to slightly reduce the butter without noticing! Also, I bake the brownies in mini-muffin tins for a PERFECT portion with plenty of the crispy edges that we all crave. Yum, no, super yum!

100 Calorie Brownie Bites
 
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Recipe type: Desserts
Makes: 24 Brownie Bites
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon 2% milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and spray a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter into milk, then whisk in sugar until dissolved.
  3. Bring mixture to a simmer, remove from heat, and slowly fold in chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and stir until all is combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt before folding into the chocolate mixture to create a smooth and thick batter.
  5. Split the batter evenly amongst the 24 prepared muffin cups, adding 1 ½ tablespoons of batter to each cup.
  6. Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a brownie comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion 100 Calorie Brownie Bites

HELPFUL TIP: You can also prepare this in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish by increasing the baking time to 22–25 minutes. Cut the cake into 4 rows by 3 rows to make 12 delicious brownies with only 200 calories each.
Serving size: 1 Brownie Bite Calories: 100

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Classic Meatloaf

Our culinary tricks were at work with this recipe to make it better for you without compromising on flavor. We used extra lean ground beef, but added minced zucchini and onion to make it moist. Plus, we added some extra veggies to your dinner! Shh, the kids will never know!

Classic Meatloaf
 
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Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 6 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ½ pounds (93%) lean ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
  • ½ cup minced yellow onion
  • ½ cup minced zucchini
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup ketchup
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix all the ingredients except the ketchup, folding until well combined.
  3. Spread the meatloaf mixture into the prepared loaf pan, and pat it down to smooth out the top. Spread the ketchup over the top of the entire loaf.
  4. Bake for 1 hour. Let rest for 8 minutes before slicing into ½-inch-thick slices.
Perfect Portion Classic Meatloaf

HELPFUL TIP: Mincing the yellow onion and zucchini can be done quickly in a food processor, though you can also grate the zucchini using a cheese grater.
Serving size: ½ inch slice Calories: 100

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Savory Southern-Style Cornbread

Some cornbreads are just as sweet, if not more sweet, than dessert. Real southern cornbread is far more savory. While we don’t call for baking our cornbread in the traditional cast-iron skillet, our cornbread’s deep corn flavor and tender crumb has all the other qualities of a fantastic, authentic southern cornbread. And we don’t have to fret about seasoning our skillet!

Savory Southern-Style Cornbread
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 8 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and spray a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and butter.
  4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing together just until combined into a batter.
  5. Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish, and smooth out the top.
  6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top has lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. For 100 calorie portions, slice into 16 sections by cutting 4 rows by 4 rows.
Perfect Portion Savory Southern-Style Cornbread

HELPFUL TIP: When preparing a quick-bread such as this (as well as biscuits and muffins), it is always best to lightly mix the batter, as overdoing it can make the final bread more dense. A few lumps in the batter are perfectly alright!
Serving size: 1/16 cornbread Calories: 100

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