Anne-Marie of This Mama Cooks On a Diet
| Sunday Brunch | Crêpes with Mixed Berries & Gingered Agave Syrup |
| Sunday Dinner | Grilled Eggplant Salad |
| Monday Lunch | Citrus Salad with Avocado |
| Monday Dinner | Grilled Tofu with Sautéed Asian Greens |
| Tuesday Lunch | Albacore Waldorf Salad |
| Tuesday Dinner | Grilled Citrus Chicken with Chili Rubbed Corn |
| Wednesday Lunch | Slim Strawberry Chef’s Salad |
| Wednesday Dinner | Mahi Mango Tostadas |
| Thursday Lunch | Herb & Garlic Tuna Wrap |
| Thursday Dinner | Fusilli Salad |
| Friday Lunch | Confetti Gazpacho with Yellow Tomatoes, Red Pepper, and Basil |
| Friday Dinner Salad | Watermelon & Feta Salad |
| Friday Dinner Side | Summer’s Best BBQ Beans |
| Friday Dinner Side | Grilled Chicken Marinade |
| Saturday Lunch | “Healthified” Layered Vegetable Salad |
| Saturday Dinner | Filet Mignon with Blueberry-Bourbon Barbeque Sauce |
| Dessert #1 | Citrus-Mint Melon Popsicles |
| Dessert #2 | Frosty Strawberry Pops |
| Grocery List |
Summer is about spending time with friends and family, and not being stuck a hot kitchen preparing elaborate meals. With that in mind, this week’s menu focuses on using seasonal fruits and vegetables in soups, salads, sandwiches and grilled dinners. Most of the cooking will be done outside on the grill or at the kitchen counter. Lunch recipes are kept simple and quick, so you can get back outside with the kids or take a walk around the block before heading back to work. Some recipes will work for picnics and barbeque parties, too.
Also, to keep you in swimsuit shape, I’ve chosen healthy recipes that are low calorie, low fat, high in fiber and protein and that use lots of good-for-you fruits and veggies. My sources were magazines, food company websites, and food commission and board websites all a treasure trove of healthy recipes. If possible, I included nutritional information for those watching their calories, fat grams, and fiber.
Enjoy!
Crepes with Mixed Berries & Gingered Agave Syrup
Recipe by Jill Silverman Hough, from Clean Eating magazine
Relax with a Sunday brunch and an easy to prepare Sunday vegetarian dinner salad done on the grill.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
5 tablespoons agave nectar, divided
2/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup arrowroot
3 tablespoons white whole-wheat flour
3 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
olive oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries), hulled and quartered, if needed
Nutritional information per serving (2 crêpes, 1/4 cup berries and 2 teaspoon agave syrup):
Calories: 160, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 26 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 17 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 120 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg
Side dish options:
For extra protein, serve with a poached egg, scrambled egg whites or a few slices of turkey bacon or lean ham.
Grilled Eggplant Salad
From Vegetarian Times
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers
extra virgin olive oil for brushing
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 3/8-inch thick
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories 100; Protein 3g; Total fat 5g; Saturated fat 1g; Carbs 15g; Sodium 10mg; Fiber 7g; Sugars 7g
Side dish options:
Need a little protein? Add some grilled shrimp, fish or chicken to the recipe.
Citrus Salad with Avocado
From the National Honey Board
Today’s meals are honey infused thanks to recipes from the National Honey Board.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 (6 inch) corn tortillas
4 oranges
4 grapefruits
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 avocado, sliced
Tips:
Need a serving of protein? Add a chicken breast, shrimp or deli sliced turkey to this salad.
Grilled Tofu with Sautéed Asian Greens
From the National Honey Board
Makes 4 servings (Ingredients were doubled from original recipe)
Ingredients:
2 (14-ounce) block firm organic tofu, drained
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (5-ounce) bags Asian greens or baby spinach
Side dish options:
Brown rice. Try the instant variety which cooks up quickly in the microwave.
Steamed or microwaved edamame.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 (6.4-oz.) pouch or 2 (2.6-oz.) pouches or 2 Cans (4-oz.) Starkist Albacore Tuna (if using cans, drained and chunked)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
3 apples, medium, cored, and cubed
1 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/4 cup fat free milk
Grilled Citrus Chicken with Chili Rubbed Corn
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup tangerine juice, canned or fresh
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, about half a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, about 1 lime
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
4 medium corn on the cob, in husk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon chili powder, ancho-variety
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 spray of cooking spray
8 medium scallions, thick-variety
Yields about 4 ounces of chicken, 1 ear of corn and 2 scallions per serving.
Nutritional information: Weight Watchers POINTS® Value = 6 per serving
Side dish options:
Dinner salad with dressing.
Steamed green beans, asparagus, squash, or broccoli.
Sautéed baby spinach.
Wednesday
Today’s fruit inspired recipes come from the California Strawberry Commission and the National Mango Board.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2/3 cup nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 green onions, sliced
2 to 3 teaspoons hot-sweet mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
butter lettuce leaves
2 pint baskets California strawberries, stemmed
2 cups assorted fresh fruit pieces (select from grapefruit segments, pineapple chunks, orange and kiwi slices)
8 slices (1 ounce each) lean turkey and/or ham
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
Click here for full recipe
Nutritional information:
194 calories, 22g protein; 3g fat; 23g carbohydrate; 39mg cholesterol; 174mg sodium
Tips:
A healthier alternative for nonfat sour cream is non-fat Greek yogurt.
Makes 4 servings
Cream ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 chipotle chilies en adobo, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of chipotle chilies
2 lemons, divided
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
8 ounce 2% fat strained Greek yogurt
Salsa ingredients:
2 mangos, peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
6 scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 ripe avocado, diced
Fish ingredients:
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound mahi mahi (or other firm white fish, 1 1/2 inch thick) at room temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Additional ingredients:
4 tostada shells (or use warmed small corn tortillas)
1 cup shredded lettuce
Side dish:
Heat up a can of vegetarian no fat “refried” beans or black beans.
Today’ is a wrap for lunch and a whole grain pasta salad for dinner. Easy and quick to make!
Serves 4 (Ingredients were doubled from original recipe)
Ingredients
2 (5oz.) pouch Starkist Creations™ Herb & Garlic Tuna
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded carrots
6 tablespoons light Italian dressing
2 cup shredded lettuce
8 oz. mozzarella shredded cheese
6 basil leaves, sliced into strips
4 flour tortillas
Tips:
Substitute flour tortillas with a healthier choice like wheat tortillas or multi-grain flatbread wraps.
Save time by using prewashed salad mix or baby spinach.
Cut calories and fat by using a fat free Italian dressing and low fat mozzarella.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
16 oz. whole grain rotini pasta
1/4 cup feta cheese
8 oz. asparagus spears (about 16 stalks)
16 oz. artichoke hearts (about 12 pieces)
4 oz. snap peas
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 cup Kalamata olives
1/4 cup red onions
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
black pepper and kosher salt to taste
Nutritional information:
370 Calories, 10.3g Fat, 57.1mg Carbohydrates, 7.1g Fiber, 3.9g Sugar, 14.2g Protein
Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen
Confetti Gazpacho with Yellow Tomatoes, Red Pepper, and Basil
From Kalyn’s Kitchen
Makes 4-6 servings
[photo from Kalyn’s Kitchen - confetti-gazpacho_kalynskitchen.jpg]
For this recipe you will need a food processor.
Ingredients:
8-10 yellow tomatoes, washed, stem cut away, and cut in large pieces
2-3 cucumbers, peeled and cut in large pieces
1 small green bell pepper, seeded, stem removed, cut into pieces
1 small red bell pepper, seeded, stem removed, cut into pieces
1/2 red onion, peeled and cut into pieces
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2-4 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves plus a few more basil leaves for serving
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Jennifer Hamilton of
Domestic Goddess
Watermelon & Feta Salad
From Domestic Goddess
TGIF! Let’s celebrate for dinner with an all America combo of chicken, baked beans and watermelon.
Ingredients:
1/4 seedless watermelon, diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup salty feta cheese, broken into teaspoon-sized lumps
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
good quality extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on top
salt and pepper to taste
Summer’s Best BBQ Beans
From Lynn’s Weigh – The Journey Continues
Makes 10 side-dish servings, approximately ½ cup each
Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
3 15-16-oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice, undrained
1 tablespoon molasses or maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Nutritional information:
Each serving: 140 calories; 0 g fat; 0 mg chol; 31 g carbo; 8 g fiber; 10 g protein.
Tips:
Leftover beans are excellent in a wrap for lunch or a snack.
From Food Fetish
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup good white wine
1/3 cup warm water
2 to 4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
4-6 skinless chicken breasts
“Healthified” Layered Vegetable Salad
From eatbetteramerica.com
Makes: 10 servings (about 1 cup each)
Salad ingredients:
6 cups torn mixed salad greens, such as Italian blend
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen sweet peas, cooked, drained
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced (1 cup)
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled
5 medium green onions, thinly sliced (5 tablespoons)
Dressing ingredients:
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 360mg; Total Carbohydrate 11g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g); Protein 6g
Filet Mignon with Blueberry-Bourbon Barbeque Sauce
Makes 4 servings
Blueberry-bourbon barbecue sauce ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
Pinch of ground allspice
Filet mignon ingredients:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 pound filet mignon, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions
2 tomatoes cut into wedges
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 309 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber
Side dish options:
Leftover “Healthified” Layered Vegetable Salad
Steamed green beans, asparagus, squash, or broccoli.
Sautéed baby spinach.
Photo by Eliza Domestica
Citrus-Mint Melon Popsicles
from Eliza Domestica
Healthy frozen treats for the week
If snacking on seasonal fruit doesn’t satisfy your after-meal sweet tooth, try these healthy frozen treats. Double or triple the recipes to last the entire week.
Makes 6 to 8 popsicles
Ingredients:
2 cups of honey dew melon, balled or cubed
3 teaspoons of agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon mandarin orange zest (or any citrus fruit if you like)
4 mint leaves, minced
* Requires 2-3 sets of popsicle molds or 8 3-ounce, wax-coated paper cups and 8 Wooden craft sticks (available in hobby shops and variety stores)
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 pint basket strawberries, stemmed
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons frozen orange, cranberry or pineapple juice concentrate
* Requires 2-3 sets of popsicle molds or 8 3-ounce, wax-coated paper cups and 8 Wooden craft sticks (available in hobby shops and variety stores)
Nutritional Information
76 calories; 2g fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 25 mg sodium; 15g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g protein.
Side dish options:
Buy in quantities to steam or sauté to cook up with several meals. Fresh or frozen is o.k.
green beans
asparagus
squash
broccoli
fresh baby spinach
instant brown rice
edamame
Refrigerator and pantry staples:
reduced-fat or fat free mayonnaise
dried basil
ground cinnamon
cumin powder
chili powder, ancho-variety
salt (table and kosher)
ground pepper
Tabasco sauce or dried hot red pepper flakes
soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
canola oil
extra-virgin olive oil
olive oil cooking spray
Asian sesame oil
ketchup
hot-sweet mustard
raspberry vinegar
cider vinegar
balsamic vinegar
red wine vinegar
white balsamic vinegar
honey
brown sugar
maple syrup
molasses
ground allspice
dried thyme
vanilla extract
skim milk
eggs
butter
white flour
whole-wheat flour
Grocery list
Produce:
2 bags of torn mixed salad greens (6 cups)
2 (10-ounce) bags of baby spinach or Asian greens
1 bag of butter lettuce leaves
alfalfa sprouts (1/2 cup)
1 small bag of pre-shredded lettuce or 1 head of lettuce
4 medium corn on the cob, in husk
small broccoli florets (2 cups)
small to medium bag of carrots
16 spears of asparagus spears
4 oz. snap peas
6 medium red bell peppers
1 small green bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 bunch of celery
2 large eggplants
3 bunches of scallions/green onions
3 avocadoes
9 red tomatoes
8-10 yellow tomatoes
2-3 cucumbers
fresh basil leaves (2 cups)
fresh thyme (if not suing dried thyme)
ginger root (3 tablespoons)
fresh parsley
fresh cilantro
fresh mint
1 medium onion
2 small red onions
1 jalapeño pepper
1-2 heads of garlic
Fruit:
mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries) (1 1/2 cups)
fresh or frozen blueberries (1 cup)
3 pint baskets of strawberries
2 cups assorted fresh fruit pieces (grapefruit segments, pineapple chunks, orange and kiwi slices)
4 oranges
4 grapefruits
3 lemons
1 lime
3 apples, medium
2 mangos
1/4 seedless watermelon, diced (about 4 cups)
honey dew melon, balled or cubed (2 cups)
mandarin orange zest (or zest from any of the citrus fruit purchased this week)
Buy fresh when possible. Use precut vegetables and fruit, and preshredded lettuce to save time. If you need just a little bit of chopped veggies, purchase them at your supermarket’s salad bar to save on waste and money.
Juice:
lemon
lime
orange
nectarine
Squeeze your own or buy fresh squeezed. To save time, go with concentrated lime and lemon juices. Or you can buy small cans or cartons.
Meat, poultry and seafood:
1 pound filet mignon, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 4 portions
1 (6.4-oz.) pouch or 2 (2.6-oz.) pouches or 2 Cans (4-oz.) Starkist Albacore Tuna (if using cans, drained and chunked)
1 1/4 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast plus 4-6 more (optional: buy a few extra to add to some of the salads)
1 8 oz package of lean turkey or ham (or 1 package of each)
1 pound mahi mahi (or other firm white fish, 1 1/2 inch thick)
2 (5oz.) pouch Starkist Creations™ Herb & Garlic Tuna
1 package of bacon, turkey bacon or vegetarian bacon substitute
Dairy:
buttermilk (3/4 cup)
1 small package of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1 8 ounce package of nonfat sour cream (or substitute with non-fat Greek yogurt)
8 ounce 0% or 2% Greek yogurt
mozzarella shredded cheese (8 oz.)
feta cheese (1 1/4 cups)
Preshredded and precrumbled cheeses save time, but may be more expensive per ounce.
Bread and pasta:
1 small package of 6 inch corn tortillas
4 tostada shells (or use warmed small corn tortillas)
1 package of flour tortillas (substitute a healthier choice like wheat tortillas or multi-grain flatbread wraps)
16 oz. whole grain rotini pasta
Frozen:
Frozen sweet peas (2 cups) – choose the steamer bag variety to save time when cooking.
Condiments:
agave nectar (available next to the honey)
light Italian dressing
2 chipotle chilies en adobo (save adobo sauce from can of chipotle chilies) (in the Latino/Hispanic section of your market)
Baking:
raisins (1/3 cup)
arrowroot (1/4 cup)
walnuts or pecans, chopped (1/3 cup)
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
Miscellaneous:
bourbon (1/4 cup)
2 (14-ounce) block firm organic tofu
16 oz. jar artichoke hearts
1 cup Kalamata olives
3 15-16-oz. cans kidney beans
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple
1 bottle of good white wine (use a little for cooking, save the rest for drinking!)
3 tablespoons frozen orange, cranberry or pineapple juice concentrate
Special equipment:
2-3 sets of popsicle molds or small paper cups and wooden craft sticks (available in hobby shops and variety stores)
blender or food processor
When Anne-Marie isn’t visiting Colorado farmers markets for seasonal produce and locally made cheeses and bread, you can find her at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet or This Mama Cooks! Reviews.
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