Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love atypical pizzas.   I like something more interesting than tomato sauce and cheese.  I also really like finding ways to make pizza healthier.  I like to add lots of veggies and lean meat.  The fiber and protein help fill you up on fewer calories.  I still have something on the side of the pizza, whether its a salad or  fruit, to create a well-balanced meal.

Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

What you'll need:
- 1 whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup tomato-based BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider BBQ sauce
- 1 skinless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar (or Colby Jack)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika

What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 400*F (or follow package directions for store bought dough). Heat a small or medium sauce pan filled 3/4 full of water.  Bring to a boil, add chicken, lower heat to a low simmer.  Cook 8 -10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, until chicken temperature reaches 160*F.  Remove chicken and let sit.

- Roll the pizza dough out into a large circle or rectangle (I personally find rectangles easier).  The dough should be thin (~1/8" thick) but without holes.  Fold over the outside edges to create a crust.

-  Spread tomato-based BBQ sauce around the pizza dough.  Top with cut veggies, parsley, oregano, and paprika.

- When chicken has cooled, tear apart into thin, short strips.  Combined with apple cider BBQ sauce.  Spread chicken over veggies on the pizza.  Top with cheese.  Spread flour or corn meal over a  baking tray or pizza stone and bake for 8 - 12 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown.  Alternatively, you can cook the pizza on the grill- see directions below.  Recipe makes 3 - 4 servings.

Cooking pizza on the grill
The most important thing is that the pizza does not stick to the grill.  So it is good to pre-bake the pizza dough for a couple minutes.  Heat the oven to 400*F.  Put rolled out dough on parchment paper, then put on a baking tray.  Bake in the oven for 4 - 6 minutes, remove and cool.  On the grill, heat 2 burners on high, heat 1 or 2 burners(depending on the size of your grill) on medium-low heat.  When grill reaches ~400*F, put pizza on the 2 high heat burners, then lower heat to medium-low. You want to make sure the grill stays hot, but the crust does not burn.  Cook 4 minutes, lower the pizza burners to low heat, and increase the empty burners to medium-high.  Cook another 4 minutes and remove from grill.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

I usually cook dinner over the stove.  When I put everything in one casserole dish and throw it in the oven, I remember how nice it is to use my oven. Using the oven means I have less hands-on time in the kitchen; I also have fewer dishes to clean!

 You have to make sure food does not stick to the bottom of the dish.  You also want to make sure the food does not dry out.  To do this, make sure food is coated in some oil, and you can also put a liquid such as lemon juice or broth on the bottom.  A good way to keep foods moist is to cover the dish with foil for the first half of the baking time, and finish uncovered.  This meal is super healthy, low calorie, and filling.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

What you'll need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 cups green beans
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  In a bowl mix together oil, lemon juice, wine, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Marinate chicken, green beans, and onion in a bag or container with lemon juice mixture for ~20 minutes.

2.  Pour all ingredients into a casserole dish.  Top chicken with mushroom slices.  Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Bake 12 minutes, remove foil, bake 12 more minutes.  If chicken is not browned, turn oven to 'Broil' for 2 - 3 minutes.

Quick Spicy Spaghetti and Veggies

This was another throw-together meal from random left over veggies.  It's very easy to do!  Cut veggies into bite sized pieces, saute in olive oil.  Add in cooked pasta and spices, and DONE!

This meal is low calorie and very heart-healthy with a bit of olive oil and lots of fiber from the vegetables.

Quick Spicy Spaghetti and Veggies

What you'll need:
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6 oz whole wheat pasta
- 1 big pinch cayenne
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)

What to do:
1.  Cook pasta according to directions.

2.  Heat oil in a skillet, saute onion, zucchini, and garlic for ~ 4 minutes.  Add broth to skillet to steam veggies.

3.  When pasta is cooked, add to veggies and saute for 1 minutes.  Add in cayenne.  Top with green onion. Add nuts and/or cheese if desired.  Recipe makes 2 servings.

For meat lovers, saute 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto with the veggies.

Smoked Salmon and Brie Sandwich

I had this sandwich while in Seattle and fell in love.  Sure, the restaurant probably used a ton more cheese than I would, but I still love this home-made version.  The key is to start with good smoked salmon.  I got mine from Whole Foods.  You also want a good quality brie.  If there is a brand you know you like, definitely go with that.

Smoked Salmon and Brie Sandwich

What you'll need:
- 2 oz smoked salmon
- 2 oz brie
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp mayo
- a few slices of red onion
- 2 small romaine leaves
- 1 roll or a 4" baguette

What to do:
Create sandwich and toast in oven or in panini maker

Pumpkin Mushroom Bean Soup

I guess this should be called a soup.  Its hearty like chili because of the mushrooms and beans.  Its creamy like a puree soup and has lot of veggies like a chunky soup.  So call it what you want.  This makes a lot!  So it's good for game day, or having a few friends over for a warming, hearty dinner.

Pumpkin Mushroom Bean Soup

What you'll need:
- 8 oz cremini
- 8 oz white button
- 4 oz shitake
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped parsnip
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (about 1 small pumpkin), or squash puree
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

What to do:
1.  Clean mushroom by brushing with a damp paper towel.  Chop all mushrooms into uniform size or use a food processor to mince evenly.  I recommend mincing only 8oz at a time.  Heat a large, flat saute pan on medium heat.  Add mushrooms and stir occasionally for about 5 - 6 minutes.

2.  In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and stir frequently for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add garlic and stir another 3 minutes.  Add in apple cider and simmer 2 - 3 minutes.  Add carrot and parsnip and stir about 5 minutes.  Add in beans and the next 7 ingredients (through cayenne) and keep at a low simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally, but try to keep track of the bay leaf.  When the 10 minutes is up, remove the bay leaf and add in the pumpkin puree and stir to mix.  Reduce heat to the lowest level and set for 15 minutes.

3.  Scoop into a bowl and top with 1 tbsp yogurt.  Recipe makes 6 servings.

This recipe can also be prepared in a slow cooker.  Saute the mushrooms in a skillet, then add everything to the crock pot and let sit for a couple hours, stirring occasionally.

Kabocha Squash Quiche

 Kabocho Squash looks like a green, flattened pumpkin.   You can find them near the pumpkins and squashes at the grocery store or at most pumpkin patches this time of year.   It is a good source vitamin A, and fairly low in carbohydrates.  It is creamy and semi-sweet.  The taste is between acorn squash and pumpkin.   Because this squash is creamy, it is good for soups, stews, and purees.  This puree adds flavor and volume to this egg dish without adding calories or fat.  This quiche has few eggs in it, which makes it very low in saturated fat.

Frozen pie crust can be used for quiche, however most crusts contain trans-fats.  These fats are very unhealthy for your heart and arteries.  One way around this is to make your own crust using butter instead of margarine.  This is only slightly healthier, though.  So a healthy (and money-saving) alternative is to go crust-less.

Kabocha Squash Quiche

What you'll need:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp sage
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup kabocha squash puree
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- pinch cayenne
- 2 eggs
- 1 frozen pie crust (optional)

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.   If using a pie crust, thaw crust for 5 minutes, then poke crust with fork all over.  Bake 12 minutes and remove to let cool.

2.  Chop onion.  Heat skillet with oil.  Saute onion ~ 5 minutes, add garlic, sage, nutmeg, and parsley and saute 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

3.  Combine milk, cream, ricotta, and squash and blend in food processor or blender.  In a bowl, whisk together the milk mixture and eggs.  Add cayenne and pepper.

4.  If using a pie crust- layer onion mixture on the bottom and pour the egg mixture over top.  Bake at 350*F for 40 - 43 minutes, until firm.

If NOT using a pie crust, spray a pie pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine egg mixture and onions, then pour in pie pan.  Bake at 350*F for 40 - 43 minutes, until firm.

Low- Fat Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich

Chicken caesar salad can be really high in calories and really high in saturated fat.  Caesar dressing is  high in calories and saturated fat, and so is the parmesan cheese that  is added to the dressing and sprinkled on top, plus theres the butter that the croutons are cooked in.

This chicken salad sandwich is made with part caesar dressing and part plain greek yogurt.  The Greek yogurt takes on the flavor or the caesar dressing.  This way you still get all the flavor, without all the calories.  A toasted whole wheat bagel has less fat than croutons and has more fiber.

Low Fat Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich

What you'll need: 
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine
-  3 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp Caesar dressing
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 whole wheat bagel

What to do:
1.  Bring ~3 cups water to a simmer and add chicken.  Insert thermometer into chicken.  Cook until it reaches 160*F.  Remove, let sit ~ 10 minutes.  Then cut up into 4 pieces to let cool.  When chicken is cooled, pull apart chicken.

2.  Combine yogurt, dressing, parmesan, onion, lettuce, pepper, and chicken in a bowl.

3.  Toast bagel.  Make one sandwich with each half of a bagel and the chicken mixture.

Chicken and Veggie Casserole

This is a really easy dish, and good if you have a lot of different left over veggies.  I had little bits of eggplant, bell peppers, celery and green beans.    I had a little bit of each, but not enough of any for  a whole meal.  So a casserole is a great way to solve that problem.

Casserole often have a lot of cream and/or butter and bread crumbs, which adds in a lot of calories.  I used less cream and added in nonfat milk and low-sodium chicken broth, and used fewer breadcrumbs to make it a little healthier.

Chicken and Veggie Casserole

What you'll need:
- 1 large chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped eggplant
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Heat a skillet with the olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add chicken and stir constantly until lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Combine cream, milk, broth, pepper, garlic, and seasonings.  Place veggies and chicken in a small to medium casserole dish.  Pour liquid mixture over veggies and food.  Top with cheese.  Bake in oven for 18 - 20 minutes, until veggies are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Prosciutto, Gruyere, and Apple Hot Sandwich

This sandwich has a lot of strong flavors, but they all seem to balance each other out.  Prosciutto is not a really lean more, nor is it a really high-fat meat.  It is much leaner than bacon so prosciutto is certainly a healthier alternative.  In this recipe, you do not use a large amount of prosciutto, so that keeps the calorie amount and the grams of saturated fat as low as possible.  Gruyere, on the other hand, is quite dense in calories and saturated fat.  For just one ounce, there are 9 grams of total fat, of which 6 grams are saturated fat.  That is a lot for just one little ounce.  That is why I tried to keep it to half an ounce per sandwich.  The gruyere is simply there to enhance the dish, not be the main star.

When picking which kind of apple for the sandwich, you can pick sweet (Virginia Beauty or Honey Crisp) or sour (Granny Smith) or somewhere in between (Braeburn or Gala).  The best apples are freshly-picked.  There are a ton of apple orchards in northern virginia.  I loved going apple picking at a kid because it involved climbing up trees as far as you would dare.  Now I love it because the apples taste so much better when you pick them!  If you don't go pick apples, at least buy them from the farmer's market.  Those are usually picked within 24 hours before you purchase them.

Prosciutto, Gruyere, and Apple Hot Sandwich

What you'll need:
- 4 slices prosciutto,
- 1 ounce gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1 small apple, thinly sliced (~1/8")
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 1/2 cup arugula, washed thoroughly

What to do:
If you have a panini maker:
Preheat the panini maker.  Assemble two sandwiches using all of the ingredients.  Place in panini maker until bread is crisp and lightly browned.



If you do not have a panini maker:

You can toast the bread in a toaster first. Then place each piece of bread on a baking sheet.  Top one slice of bread with mustard, apple slices, and half of the cheese;  top the other slice with prosciutto and the other half of the cheese.  Set the oven to 'Broil' and toast in the oven for about 3 - 4 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it does not burn.  Remove from oven and top with arugula and assemble sandwich.  Serve with a side of fruit

Steak and Loaded Baked Potato

Multi-colored Tomato and Basil
appetizer salad

Ben's ideal meal would consist of salad, steak, and a baked potato.  For his birthday, I bought him a grill and had it ~95% set up when he got home.  So of course, the plan was to grill steak, vegetables, and potatoes.  That was made possible by borrowing a gas tank from ben's parents (Thanks!).

I marinated the steak in a simple balsamic and herbs mixtures.  I did the same with the vegetables.  For the potato, I actually pre-baked it in the oven, and then finished cooking in the grill.  I made some toppings for the potato.  Instead of cooking bacon and then crumbling it, I bought diced prosciutto.  Prosciutto is leaner than bacon, and it was already cut up for me so that made things easier.  I bought shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and I got plain non-fat Greek yogurt.  I buy this instead of sour cream because the the Greek yogurt has more beneficial nutrients and fewer calories from fat.  Ben could also eat the stuff by the bucket.

Ben's Birthday Dinner

What you'll need:
For the marinade:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 2 (4 oz each) steak sirloin
- 1/2 small eggplant, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 small onion, 1/3 " slices
- 1 small zucchini, 1/3" slices
- 2 small potatoes
- 3 tbsp diced prosciutto
- 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 425*F.  Add potatoes and cook 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.

2.  Make the marinate by combining all of the marinade ingredients.  Place steak in a ziplock bag and pour 1/2 the marinade over it and close bag tightly.  Put cut up eggplant, onion, and zucchini in a ziplock bag and cover with the rest of the marinade and close bag tightly.  Let each sit for 20 -30 minutes.  Preheat the grill to medium-high.

3.  Heat a small saute pan over medium high heat and add the prosciutto.  Cook until browned.  Remove prosciutto and place on a folded paper towel to absorb excess fat.

4.  When grill is hot, place potatoes on a warmer grill, or on a side with low to no heat.  Place marinated vegetables in a vegetable grill holder to and place on the hot grill over medium heat.  Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.  Place steaks on grill over medium-high heat.  Let sit 4 to 6 minutes on each side depending on how thick the steak is and how well done you like your steak.

5.  On two place, serve the steak, vegetables, and potatoes.  Top the potatoes with prosciutto, cheese, and Greek yogurt.