Five Low Calorie and Scrumptious Dinner Recipes

Low Calorie Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

Chop 1 medium fully ripe tomato for each serving of pasta.  For example if you’re feeding four for dinner, chop four tomatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and set aside.  Cook your choice of pasta until it’s nearly done.  Add ½ cup frozen peas for each serving of pasta and add to the pasta just a minute or two before you remove from the heat.  Strain the pasta and the peas. Chop a handful of basil leaves.  Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and basil leaves to the pasta and peas and toss well.  Sprinkle each serving with one tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Add a tossed green salad with low cal or no cal dressing and dinner is done.

Low Calorie Tequila Chicken Breasts Recipe

Use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.  For four servings: make a marinade of the juice of three limes, you can add a bit of lime peel to the juice if you wish.  Add 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon of crushed chili peppers or more if you like spicy food, a clove of chopped garlic, and 4 chopped scallions.  Combine with ½ cup of tequila.  That sounds like a lot, but remember all the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, you just want the flavor.  If you don’t want to use tequila use white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar instead.  Place the marinade and the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and marinate for at least an hour, up to over night.  When ready to cook remove the chicken from the marinade and bake.  You can also grill the chicken breasts.  Serve with a black bean, corn and tomato salad and a couple of toasted tortillas.

Low Calorie Oven Roasted Veggies Recipe

You’ll need 1 to 1 ½ pounds of veggies for each person.  Select from carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, winter squash, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and small new potatoes.  Clean and scrub veggies.  Cut into similar size pieces, two inch cubes work well.  Dry veggies off.   Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray such as Pam.  Place veggies in pan drizzle with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  You can also add a variety of herbs: oregano, parsley, sage, tarragon, and basil are just a few.  Bake at 350 for about an hour until veggies are soft but not mushy.  You can also grill the veggies.  Just leave them whole or sliced in two.  Serve with crusty bread.

Low Calorie Stir Fry Beef with Oriental Vegetables Recipe

You’ll need about a pound of sirloin steak for six servings. Thinly slice the raw steak.  It’s easier if you place it in the freezer for about 30 to 45 minutes before slicing.  Clean an assortment of vegetables.  You’ll need 3 pounds for six servings.  You can use snow pea pods, string beans, mushrooms, scallions, bean sprouts, asparagus, or broccoli.  Slice the vegetables into equal sizes.  Put a tablespoon of cooking oil in a large sauté pan, or wok if you have one.  Place the steak in the pan and sauté turning quickly for a minute or two until desired doneness. Remove from pan.  Stir fry the vegetables until brightly colored and crisp but not cooked through.  Add the steak back to the pan.  Add a few dashes of soy sauce.  Toss then serve over white rice.

Low Calorie Baked Pork Supper Recipe

Spray baking pan with Pam or other nonstick spray.  Season  3 boneless pork chops about ½ pound each with salt and pepper.   Slice one head of red cabbage, one red onion, and 3 or 4 apples.   Finely chop 3 garlic cloves.  If you have sage on hand, add a tablespoon of fresh, or one teaspoon of dried, to the chopped cabbage mixture.  Also add the chopped garlic cloves. Squeeze the juice of a lemon over the mixture.  Toss well and place in baking pan.  Place the pork chops on top of the cabbage mixture.  Bake at 300 degrees until pork is no longer pink and cabbage is soft.  Cut each chop into four equal pieces.  Each person receives three slices of pork.  Serve with a fresh fruit salad.