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Oven Baked Schnitzel

20 Sep

My best friend’s Mom, who helped raise me when I was growing up, used to make Schnitzel, and it’s something I’ve always really liked, but only made a few times here and there.  Last week I got a craving for Schnitzel and decided to try my had and a lower calorie version that would satisfy my craving, without too many calories.  I like my Schnitzel with just a little lemon juice over the top, so that’s how we’re going to do it here!

Ingredients:

  • 4 (4 oz) boneless pork chops  (the ones I used were 130 calories each
  • 2 Eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup Flour (seasoned flour if you’ve got it)*
  • 1 cup Bread crumbs (I used roasted garlic flavored, but plain would do fine)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 Lemon

*Seasoned flour.  I use it in all my savory dishes, and it makes a big difference. here’s the one I use, and you can even order it here if you are so inclined.

Editor’s Note:  Although the recipe calls for 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup breadcrumbs, and 2 eggs, I only counted calories for half this amount, because there was about half of each left at the end of prep.  However, you don’t want to just start with half as much, because you won’t have a deep enough pile to properly cover your chops evenly.

Directions:

  1. Place 1 chop at a time inside a large ziplock freezer bag.  Use a meat mallot to pound the chop on both sides until the whole thing is flat and no more than 1/4 inch in thickness.  The baggie keeps you from slinging pork-juice all over your kitchen.  You could pound it out directly on a cutting board, but  I wouldn’t recommend skipping that.
  2. Salt and pepper chops to taste.
  3. Using 3 shallow bowls, fill one with beaten egg, 1 with flour, and 1 with bread crumbs.
  4. Dip each Chop into the flour first, covering evenly, then into the Egg, and finally into the bread crumbs.
  5. Once each chop is covered in crumbs, place them on a broiler pan, which has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
  6. Spray a light coating of non stick spray on the top of each chop, and Bake on 425 for about 15 minutes, then flip each piece of meat, and bake another 5 minutes.  Broil briefly at the end if tops are not as brown as you like.
  7. Squeeze 1 slice (1/4 of a lemon) of lemon over each chop and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings= 231 Calories per serving

appx 6 weight watchers points plus each


  

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Parmesan Potato Wedges

16 Sep

I altered this recipe from one that I found online, which had much higher calories.  With just a couple tweaks of ingredients, it turned out both delicious and low calorie.  I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 russet potatoes
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 11/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I used kraft)

Directions:

  1. Slice each potato into 8 wedges.  (I sliced down the middle longways, and then 3 cuts through each half, leaving me with 24 “wedges”)
  2. In a large bowl, cover the wedges with the olive oil, and stir it around so the oil coats all the potatoes evenly.
  3. Add all the seasonings as well as the cheese and mix well until all potatoes are covered.
  4. Spray a large baking sheet very liberally with nonstick spray.  Line the wedges up side by side with the potato skills facing down on the sheet.
  5. If there is any cheese left in the bowl, you might as well scoop it on top of the less cheesy wedges (you already counted the calories so you might as well eat the cheese!)
  6. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes.  If you put them skin side down, you don’t even have to flip them during baking.

Makes 5 servings= 234 calories per serving 

Appx 6 weight watchers points plus

BEFORE:


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Beef and Barley Soup

14 Sep

This is a soup that I’ve only experienced from a can.  Nobody in my family ever made anything with “Barley” in it.  I wasn’t even sure what barley was until probably college… I knew it came in a can of vegetable beef soup, and that was about it.  But for some reason the other day I thought to myself… self… “i’m gonna make beef and barley soup, and I already know what i want in the broth!”  So, I set out throwing together ingredients, and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the results.  Best part? This all cooked in the crock pot while I was 2 hours away at a baseball game.  It’s about as low maintenance as you can get.  My husband doesn’t enjoy soup, so I often share what I make with my neighbors.  They gave it their official seal of approval, so here we go!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of cubed stew meat (beef)
  • 1/2 of an onion, chopped finely
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 1 cup sliced (fresh or canned) mushrooms
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 TBSP minced garlic
  • 40 oz of beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp Red Wine
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 1 can of condensed french onion soup (i used campbells)
  • 1/2 cup of uncooked pearl barley

Directions:

  1. The first thing I did was take the stew meat, which is already cubed into about 1 inch cubes, and i cut the pieces into 4’s.  I wanted this soup to have lots of pieces of easy to chew beef, vs having big hunks of beef like a stew.
  2. Once you’ve cut your beef, place it in the bottom of the crock pot, and throw everything else right in on top of it.
  3. Stir the mixture around a couple times and then cook the whole thing for 8-10 hours on low.
  4. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Makes 9 (1 cup) servings= 185 Calories per serving

Appx 4 weight watchers points plus per serving

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Curry Chicken Salad (for sandwiches)

14 Sep

Hey guys!  So, this recipe is an original that I threw together this weekend.  It was inspired by a deli that used to be near my work, that sold Curry chicken salad on croissants.  I loved the stuff, but the deli went out of business.  I hadn’t had curry chicken salad in years, but last week I got a craving for it, and so this low calorie version was born.  I think this is delicious, and I will definitely be repeating it in my own household.  Even the husband enjoyed it, although he was unsure about trying it at first.  It’s yummy, and not too overwhelming with Curry.   The sweet cherry craisins are a nice comliment to the curry flavor.  I served this with 2 slices of 35 calorie bread (not included in the calorie count below).

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
  • 1/4 cup + 1 TBSP fat free miracle whip
  • 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
  • 1 TBSP onion, finely diced
  • 3/4 tsp of curry powder (i used a 1/2 tsp and a 1/4 tsp to measure)
  • 1 TBSP slivered almonds
  • 2 TBSP cherry flavored dried cranberries (I used craisins)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Mix everything but the chicken together first, to be sure your curry is mixed in well.
  2. Add chicken to mixture, and stir until everything is well incorporated.
  3. Serve with saltine crackers or low calorie bread.  Add Lettuce and tomato if you like.

Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings= 161 Calories per serving

Appx 4 weight watchers points plus


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Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

7 Sep

This one is a great meal for those days when you have folks coming over for dinner, and you want to have as much done ahead of time as possible.  There’s not much fuss involved with this delicious crockpot concoction, and Pulled Pork is a delicious staple in the South.  My husband doesn’t like barbecue sauce, so i left a little out just for him, with only the rub, and it also went over very well.   Traditionally made with a fattier piece of pork, this slimmer version, in my opinion, really benefits from cooking in the liquid low and slow.  Try for yourself, and let me know what you think 😉

Ingredients:

  • 3 3/4 lbs- 4 lbs pork loin (i picked one that was 160 cal per 4 oz serving)
  • 1/2 a large yellow or white onion, chopped
  • 1 can (12 oz) diet Dr Pepper (you could use regular diet soda, or diet cherry soda too)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

The Rub: 

  • 1 1/2 TBSP paprika
  • 1 TBSP garlic powder
  • 1 TBSP sea salt
  • 1 TBSP Black pepper
  • 1 TBSP Dry Mustard
  • 1 TBSP Splenda Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 TBSP Crushed red pepper

Directions: 

  1. Mix all spices together in a small bowl.
  2. Pat your pork loin dry, and apply rub liberally to all sides.  Press the rub into the loin so that as much rub as possible is used to cover the meat.
  3. Place your rubbed pork loin into a large crock pot, along with chopped onions.
  4. Pour diet soda on both sides of the pork loin, and gently life loin up with a fork so some soda gets underneath.
  5. Cook on low for 10 hours.
  6. After 10 hours on low, meat should be easy to shred with a fork.  Remove meat and set aside on a platter.
  7. Measure out 1 cup of the juice from the crock pot.  This is what you’ll use for the sauce.  The rest of the juice can be discarded.
  8. In your crock pot, mix your 1 cup of cooking liquid, along with 1 cup of ketchup and 1 1/2 TBSP vinegar.  Mix well until ketchup is well incorporated.
  9. Shred the pork and return to the crock pot with the sauce.  Stir the sauce and meat together well, and allow to sit on warm until you’re ready to serve.
  10. Makes 12-15 servings (depending on how much meat you started with) of about 1/2 cup each.

I served each serving with a “lite” hamburger bun, which was 80 calories.  Those calories are not included in the count below.

1 serving= 229 Calories per serving

Appx 6 weight watchers points plus per serving

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Stuffed mushrooms

31 Aug

My husband loves these mushrooms. They are pretty simple to make, and they make a tasty side, or appetizer. I apologize that I wasn’t able to get a better photo, but this was one of those nights where the kids were wound up and we had a billion things going on, so here are my mushrooms (pictured as a side item for spaghetti).

Ingredients: 

  • 12 medium to large mushrooms
  • 6 wedges of laughing cow cheese, garlic and herb flavored
  • 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:

1. Wash mushrooms and carefully pull the stems out of the caps (set the stems aside, we will need those). Be careful to try to keep the mushroom caps intact.

2.  Once all stems have been removed from the mushrooms throw away half the stems and chop the other half into tiny pieces.

3. Unwrap all of your cheese wedges and place them in a microwavable bowl. Microwave your cheese for about 20 seconds to soften.

4. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and oregano with cheese. Stir in chopped up mushroom stems and mix until well combined.

5. Use a spoon to fill each mushroom cap with about a tablespoon of filling.

6. Line mushroom caps up (filling side up) inside a baking pan and cook for 20 minutes at 400°

Makes 12 mushroom caps

28 calories per mushroom

(Appx 2 weight watchers points plus for 3 mushrooms)

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Louisiana File Gumbo

22 Aug

I recently took a trip to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and I was inspired by all the delicious food they had to offer.  I loved the rich and distinct flavors, which can come with a high caloric price tag.  So, after returning home, I decided to try my hand at a Cajun Classic:  File Gumbo (skinny style).  Here are the results of my adventure into Cajun cooking.  I actually found it to be quite satisfying, and even tastier than what I had in the New Orleans restaurant, but a little time consuming (i guess those rich flavors take some time to develop!).  I hope you enjoy. Just remember, Cajun food is spicy, and this is no exception. My littlest kiddo opted out.  One last thing, if you like your gumbo souper (this was thick) use another can of broth, and 1 1/2 tbsp file. (adds about 15 cal per serving).

Editors Note:  If you liked this, try out my Jambalaya

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 Can of chicken broth
  • 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 2 TBSP light Butter
  • 1⁄4 cup Flour
  • 1 package of turkey smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 TBSP minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon creole/Cajun seasoning
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 cups frozen, cooked, peeled shrimp
  • 1 TBSP file powder (see pic below)

Directions

  1. Put the chicken in a pot and cover with water. Bring the chicken to a boil, and boil for about 7 minutes.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot. When the chicken cools enough to handle, chop or shred it into bite sized pieces and set it aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat and add oil.  Once oil and butter mixture is heated, begin your roux by adding in the flour. Cook on low, stirring constantly, until your roux mixture is medium brown.
  4. Add the sausage , onions, pepper, and garlic and stir all ingredients together. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
  5. Add chicken broth, diced or shredded chicken, and salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, and bay leaves.
  6. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for one hour, uncovered.
  7. Stir in Shrimp and continue to simmer about 3 minutes for shrimp to heat up.
  8. Remove from the heat, Remove Bay Leaves and stir in the file powder.   Let the dish stand for 5 minutes.

I served this with 1 3/4 cups of gumbo, and 1/3 cup of mixed grains (brown rice) but you could eat it by itself, or with white rice if you prefer.  This added about 107 calories (not included in the calorie count for this recipe)

Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each= 450 Calories

Appx 11 weight watchers points plus per serving

Roux plus veggies and sausage

    

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Open Faced Breakfast Sandwiches

21 Aug

Tonight my family asked for breakfast for dinner (which is not unusual in this house).  I wanted to do something a little different, so we went with Open Face Sandwiches.  I know that this recipe calls for packaged instant gravy (GASP!) which is almost a deadly sin in the American south (and in my home particularly).  I chose to go this route for 2 reasons.  1. Packaged instant gravy is much lower in calories than homemade white gravy, and 2. it’s easier, and on a weeknight, time is precious.  I used some pretty specific brand name ingredients here, but i’ll list the calorie counts for what i used, in case you’d like to use an alternative brand, or these items are not available in your area.

I usually like to stay around 250 calories or less for breakfast, so this works better as a lunch or dinner option for me. However, you could lower the calories by using 2 slices of canadian bacon instead of sausage, or using only egg whites.

Ingredients:

  • 4 Light (100 calorie) English Muffins
  • 4 Eggs
  • 4 Egg Whites
  • 8 chicken or turkey sausage patties (I used chicken sausage at 120 cal per 2 patties)
  • 1 envelope of white country gravy (I used Pioneer at 45 calories per 1/4 cup)
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Directions: 

  1. Cook sausage patties according to directions on package.
  2. Prepare gravy according to instructions on packet. Stir in salt.
  3. Mix eggs and egg whites together and whisk until blended.
  4. In a large skillet, spray non stick cooking spray, and scramble your egg mixture on medium heat until eggs are done. Season eggs with salt and pepper if you wish.
  5. While eggs are cooking, split your english muffins and toast them all in the toaster, or on broil in the oven.
  6. To assemble sandwiches, place 1 muffin top, and 1 bottom on each plate.  Top each muffin with a sausage patty.
  7. Divide eggs evenly between each of the 8 muffin pieces.
  8. Top plate with 1/3 cup of gravy, split evenly between the 2 muffins.

Makes 4 servings= 365 calories per serving

Approximately 9 weight watchers points plus per serving.


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Baked Eggplant Parmesan

10 Aug

This is one of my Daddy’s favorite things.  I had never made it before tonight, but I’m glad I tried it out, because it was a hit.  If you like the traditional version, I think you’ll love this low calorie alternative.  Not too difficult, but a bit time consuming since you have to let the eggplant sit to draw all the moisture out.  Very delicious.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 medium sized eggplants
  • Salt
  • 1 Cup italian breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup shredded paremsan cheese (the shreds, not the powder)
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3 TBSP water
  • 1 cup homemade marinara or Prego Light Smart Sauce
  • 1 cup 2% shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Wash and dry eggplant, and slice it into 1/2 inch slices (they should be round).  You should have about 20 slices.

Lay sliced eggplant out flat on a paper towel, and sprinkle both sides of each round piece liberally with salt.  Cover with a 2nd paper towel.  Let the eggplant sit for 20 min.  The salt will draw the moisture out of the eggplant. Don’t skip this step 🙂

In a shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.

In a separate shallow dish, mix egg whites and water.  Whisk until they are well combined.

Once Eggplant is done resting on the paper towels, wash each slice off and pat dry.

Dip each slice of eggplant into egg wash, and then press down into breadcrumb mixture, covering both sides with breading.

Place eggplant slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets which have been sprayed with non stick spray.

Bake on 450 for 20 minutes, flipping each slice halfway through cooking.

Top each slice with about 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the slices evenly.

Return to oven and bake an additional 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Makes 5 servings.  1 serving= 2 slices of eggplant (or 1 large slice and 2 little slices)

258 Calories per serving

Appx 7 weight watchers points plus per serving


  

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Baked Eggplant Rollatini

10 Aug

This dish basically makes a manicotti using eggplant instead of noodles.  It was delicious.  I mean, it was super delicious, and so low in calories that I can definitely see this returning to my dinner table sooner, rather than later.  Even if you’re not sure whether you like eggplant, you should give this a try.  It takes a little time, but it’s worth it. Don’t skip the part about letting the eggplant sit with the salt on it, or you’ll end up with a watery finished product.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 smaller Eggplants or 1 very large eggplant
  • salt
  • 1 1/4 cups of homemade marinara or Prego LightSmart Sauce
  • 1 Egg white
  • 1 TBSP minced garlic
  • 1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (the shreds, not the powder)
  • 1 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

  1. Wash and dry eggplant, and cut off the stem end.  Use a mandolin slicer to slice the eggplant longways into about 1/4 inch thick slices (your slices should be sort of oval shaped, not round).  You want to keep the 16 best slices for your dish and discard the rest.
  2. Spread out several paper towels, and spread the eggplant slices out in a single layer on top of the paper towels.  Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt, flip them over, and sprinkle the other sides with salt as well.
  3. Place another layer of paper towels on top of the eggplant, and let them sit for about 15 minutes.  You will notice the paper towels will become wet as the salt draws the moisture out of the eggplant.
  4. Pat the eggplant dry, and lay them flat in a single layer on 2 baking sheets, lined in parchment paper.
  5. Bake on 450 for 8 minutes.
  6. While the eggplant is baking, stir together in a medium bowl: Ricotta, garlic, salt and pepper, egg white, and parmesan cheese.
  7. Spray a 9×13 glass pan with nonstick spray, and pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom.  Cover the bottom of the pan evenly with sauce.
  8. Once your eggplant is out of the oven, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto each one, and roll it from the bottom up.  Roll it loosely so you don’t press all the filling out.
  9. Line eggplant rolls up in 2 rows, placing them seam side down in the baking dish (on top of the marinara sauce).
  10. Cover the dish with the remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, and cover the whole pan in foil.
  11. Bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 4 servings of 4 rolls each= 300 calories per serving

Each “roll” is 75 calories if you choose to eat less than 4.

Appx 5 weight watchers points plus per serving!


  

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