let's slash those calories to bits

hey guys! the queue ran out of posts, going to put in a bunch more soon, hang in there! xxx

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

(courtesy of iwillbefabulous and oprah’s website)

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray.
2. Spread the sweet potato strips out onto the baking sheet in a single layer, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and spices, turning them over to evenly coat on all sides with oil and spices.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes with spatula. Serve warm.

makes 4 servings, 300 calories per serving.

Creamy Shrimp and Pasta

• 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and drained
• 4 oz dry pasta-prepare and set aside
• Zucchini - use julienne peeler and only use the outer portions
• 1 T. chopped green onion (scallion) tops
• 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or about 1/3 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 2 Tablespoons picante sauce (Pace Medium)
• Squeeze of lemon
• 1 treaspoon olive oil in non-stick skillet
• 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
• 1 c. water
• 1 tsp. chicken boullion
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 T. whipping cream
• salt pepper to taste

1. Put pasta on to cook, while this is cooking, prepare shrimp.
2. Set shrimp to drain, drain pasta and set aside.
3. chop veggies and combine in serving dish. Cook garlic in oil 1 minute medium high heat, add chicken boullion mixture and cook til reduced by half.
4. Add shrimp and cook til just pink. Turn off heat. Put pasta in serving dish with veggies, picante, salt and pepper.
5. Microwave pasta and veggies for 1 minute to bring to warm temp, take out and squeeze lemon over, then pour shrimp/sauce mixture over, sprinkle parmesan on top.

makes 3 servings, 284 calories each.

High-Protein Chili

• 32 oz. extra lean ground beef
• 1 cup celery, chopped very small
• 1 cup onion, cut up
• 1 cup bell pepper, cut up
• 3 cups V8 Spicy Hot Vegetable juce
• 28 oz. Whole Tomatoes, canned drain juice in kettle
• 26 oz Ferratto’s Four Cheese pasta sauce
• 15.5 oz. Red Beans, rinsed
• 15.5 oz. Pinto Beans, rinsed
• 16 oz Navy Beans, rinsed
• 15.5 oz. Great Value Chili Beans
• 1 package French’s Chili-O Original Seasoning Mix
• or Hot Chili Seasoning Mix

1. In a large kettle brown ground beef breaking into very
small pieces, when browned cover with water and boil to
remove any fat, drain and rinse off.

2. Cut celery small and add to kettle.

3. Cut onion and pepper into pieces,add to blender with a
little water blend and add to kettle.

4. Drain diced tomatoes into kettle; cut tomatoes in
quarters blend until just broken up add to kettle.

5. Add meat, V8- jucie, pasta sauce, beans, and chili mix to
kettle.

6. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until onion and
pepper are tender.

makes 18 1-cup servings, 155 calories per cup.

Low Fat Penut Butter Pie

(I figure I’ve been posting too many desserts, but I HAD to post this. I have a huge weakness for penut butter. *drool*)

• 2 reduced fat graham cracker crust shells
• 16 oz cool whip lite (largest container or two 8 oz containers), thawed
• 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 1/2 cup low fat peanut butter
• 1/2 cup skim milk

1. Dissolve powdered sugar in milk with whisk.
2. Add peanut butter and cream cheese and beat with mixer until smooth. Fold in cool whip until blended but don’t beat or the “whipped” part of the cream will fall.
3. Pour mixture into the two pie shells and freeze for 2 hours before serving. If you make the pies in advance and they are completely frozen, take them out 20 mins before serving.

8 slices per pie, 272 calories each.

Organic Blueberry Muffins

• 1.5 cup Rice Flour
• 1.5 cup Almond Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder (Aluminum Free)
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt (SeaSalt w/ Iodine)
• 3 Eggs (Organic Free range)
• 1/2 cup Non Fat Buttermilk
• 1/4 cup Raw Sugar
• 8 pkts of Stevia
• 3 cups finely grated zucchini (organic)
• 2 cups Blueberries (organic)
• 1 cup oats (organic oldfashioned)

1. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes
   
   
2. (Warm batter raises better then cold batter. You’ll want your batter to be at least room temp. So if you are using frozen blueberries or other frozen ingredients put the muffins in the oven for 10 minutes at 140 before baking.)

makes 24 muffins, 130 calories each.

Veggie Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

• 3 big beefy tomatoes
• 2 good lookin’ bunches of green onions
• Spices…. garlic salt, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, whatever you think is tasty
• 3/4 box of Barilla Whole Grain Rotini
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• PAM

1. Dice the veggies and toss them in a big bowl with whatever spices you like.
2. Dice your chicken if you feel like it. Spray your dutch oven or big pot with PAM and cook the chicken. About halfway through, add the tomato juice that has seeped out of your ‘maters & onions to the chicken.
3. While the chicken cooks, boil the pasta like the package tells you to.
4. Drain the pasta, then put everything together and eat it.

makes 6 servings, 292 calories each.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup prunes, pureed
• 4 tablespoon splenda
• 1 cup light soymilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange extract
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (1 minutes high heat) let cool.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, set aside.
3. Whisk together wet ingredients (prunes through orange extract) until foamy, add orange peel. Add wet ingredients to dry and combine. Fold in melted chocolate.
4. Line 16 (or possibly more) muffin tins with cupcake liner. Pour batter in, filling cup 3/4 of the way.
5. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

makes 16 cupcakes, 96 calories each.

Lasagna

• 1 3/4 c Light Ragu - Tomato and Basil
• 4 oz. 93% lean ground turkey
• 1/4 c part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 5 tsp Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1/2 T Parsley
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 egg whites
• 14 oz Fat-Free Ricotta cheese
• 3 oz Whole Wheat Oven-Ready Lasagna noodles
• 1/2 c chopped tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. In a large saucepan brown turkey, drain, and return to pan. Add Ragu, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Combine ricotta cheese, egg whites and parsley in a medium bowl.
4. Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of 9x9 pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce, top with dallops of the ricotta mixture, then another layer of sauce. Continue layering. When finished, top with the mozzarella and then parmesan cheeses.
5. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbling.
6. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

makes 6 servings, 203 calories each.

VERY Low-Calorie Brownies

• 2/3 Cup Splenda
• 1/3 Cup cocoa
• 1/3 Cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 Cup low fat plain yogurt (can substitute 1/4 light or fat free sour creme, or fat free yogurt).

1. Beat splenda and applesauce until smooth.
2. Mix in egg, yogurt, and vanilla.
3. Mix cocoa, flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to wet ingredients.
4. Mix until just blended.
   
5. Bake in an 8x8 baking pan at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

makes 16 small brownies, 26 calories each.

(you could eat the entire thing and it would be 416 calories!)

Low-Fat Taco Bake

• 1LB of Lean Ground Turkey
• Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• Taco Seasoning (Low sodium)
• 1 Cup of Shredded Low Fat Colby or Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Cup Light or Reduced Fat Sour Cream
• 2 Cups of Shredded Lettuce
• 2 Large Ripe Tomato’s Diced
• 1 Cup Diced Scallions of Green Onions

1. Heat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Over Medium heat brown the ground turkey (hamburger) and drain any grease. Add taco seasoning and 2 Tablespoons of water. Mix thoroughly and sit aside.
3. Using a 13 X 9 Pan, Spray the bottom with cooking spray and unroll the crescent rolls. set them out flat on the bottom of the pan. Make sure the bottom of the pan is completely covered with the dough. Press the dough about 1/2 inch up the edges of the pan.
4. Spread the cooked Ground Turkey evenly on top of the rolled out crescent rolls. Then Add 2 cups of the reduced fat cheese over the top of the cooked ground turkey.
5. Cook for 20 minutes. The bottom of the crescent roll dough should be a nice golden color and cheese will be melted.
6. Top with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Scallions and Sour Cream.

makes 8 servings, 257 calories each.

Fruit Ambrosia

• 16 oz. plain fat free yogurt
• 8 oz. fat free cool whip whipped topping
  (thawed)
• 1oz. box Jello sugar free instant white
  chocolate pudding mix (do NOT make the
  pudding, use the powder only)
• 1 small can mandarin oranges (drained)
• 1 small can pineapple tidbits (drained), but
  reserve 2 tablespoons juice

1. Mix yogurt, cool whip, powdered pudding mix, and reserved pineapple juice until smooth. Fold in oranges and pineapple. Chill.

makes 10 servings, 57 calories each.

105 Calorie Strawberry Cupcakes With Icing

• 1 box Pilsbury Moist Supreme, Strawberry flavor
• 12 oz. Sierra Mist Free
• 1 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip Free
• 1 1 oz. pkg of Jello SF/FF Instant Pudding Mix

1. Pre heat oven to 350.
2. In medium bowl, add cake mix and soda. Wisk for 2 minutes.
3. Place mixture into 24 cupcake liners @ 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
4. While baking mix the pudding into the cool whip and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Once cupcakes have completely cooled you can spread approx 1 tbsp. of icing onto each cupcake, or ice individually.
6. Refrigerate if icing all cupcakes at once.
7. Variations/Notes: you can change the cake mix to any flavor you like, however the calories/fat have been calculated for items listed only. If using a dark cake mix, I would recommend using a dark diet cola. You can also change the pudding mix flavor to match your choice of cake.
8. Cupcakes freeze well.

makes 24 cupcakes, 104.9 calories each.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

• Flat Out Pita Wrap
• BBQ Sauce
• A Red Onion
• One Chicken Breast
• Mozzarella Cheese

1. (This step is OPTIONAL! For a crunchy crust, Place the Flat Out Pita Wrap on an ungreased baking sheet. Place the Flat Out Pita Wrap in the oven at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.)
2. Steam the chicken breast in the microwave for 12-15 minutes. When the chicken is done shred it into small pieces and set aside.
3. When in the chicken (and crust if desired) is ready then it is time to assemble the pizza.
4. Place 3 tablespoons of BBQ Sauce on the Flat Out Pita Wrap.
5. Chop up 1/4 of a red onion.
6. On top of the sauce place the shredded chicken and red onion.
7. Next place 2/3 of a cup of low fat part skim shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza.
8. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted on top (5-10 minutes).

makes 1 pizza, 398 calories.

Note: using low-fat cheese could significantly lower the calories in this pizza.

Zucchini Bread

• 5 egg whites
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. Splenda
• 1 C. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 C. grated zucchini
• 1 C. whole wheat flour
• 1 C. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1. Combine eggs, sugar, Splenda, applesauce, and vanilla in bowl. Add zucchini and mix well. Sift together dry ingredients and add a little at a time, mixing together as you go.
2. Pour into two loaf pans and bake at 325 for an hour or until a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

makes 2 loaves, 12 slices each. 87 calories per slice.