Day 9 of the Under 500 Calorie Challenge: GF Macaroni and Cheese withLil Smokies

Tuesday night is scout night for my boys and husband so I need to do a quick meal. We usually do sandwiches and chips. I wanted to try something a little more filling. I thought about what I had on hand and remembered my snowbird parents brought over two large packages of cocktail sausages and a block of cheddar cheese last week when they mptied their refridge before flying off to their winter retreat! I had a bag of GF spiral pasta in the pantry so I thought I could pull it all together to slim down one of my boys' favorite meals, mac&cheese with hotdogs. This meal took about 40 minutes from start to table.

GF Macaroni and Cheese with Lil Smokies:
(Serves 6; 493 calories per serving)
8oz gluten free noodles, cooked and drained
4 tbsp Butter, divided
2 tbsp Almond Meal Flour
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided
1/4 cup Corn Flake Crumbs
1/8 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
10 Lil Smokies, cut in thirds

Preheat oven to 350* and prepare a 2qt casserole dish by lightly greasing with nonstick spray. Melt 2 tbsp butter over low heat in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes while whisking continuously. The mixture will turn a rich amber color. Turn up the heat to medium and whisk in the cream. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking periodically until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Keep whisking until all ingredients are well blended. Fold in the cooked noodles and Lil smokies. Spoon into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. In a microwaveable bowl, melt the other 2 tbsp of butter and then mix the corn flake crumbs and Parmesan into the bowl. Place crumb mixture over the noodles and cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Day 8 of the under 500 Calorie Challenge: Cilantro Lime Pork Chops

Today was Day 8 of my 500 calorie or less dinner challenge. I made Cilantro Lime Pork Chops which I discovered I had left 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro off the earlier recipe when I wrote it in the blog! I also made the potato & cabbage casserole. The chops were 275 calories and the casserole is 149 calories per serving so I opted to add a dessert tonight and dipped orange slices in chocolate! My ulterior motive was to sneak some fruit in on my 7 year old who dislikes almost everything by sight! He picked at the chocolate, but didn't taste the orange :(. Everyone else enjoyed them though. Each serving was 81 calories each! So the dinner was 505 calories in total which I think is till pretty good. On a side note, the scale said I was 2.5 lbs less than last Monday which I will attribute to the challenge! It is keeping me energized to keep going!


Chocolate Covered Orange Slices:
(Serves 6)

3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
4 pieces Bakers Milk Chocolate, melted per package instructions.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Dip 1/2 of each orange slice in the melted chocolate and place on baking sheet. Chill tray in the refridge for at least 15 minutes to low the chocolate to firm up.

Days 5, 6 and 7 of the Under 500 Calorie Challenge

I thought I would post an update even though there are no new recipes. Day 5, my husband and I had a rare night out as our boys went on a sleepover. We chose to eat at the Bonefish Grill. iAd the Pecan Parmesan Rainbow Trout after splitting an appetizer of Bang Bang Shrimp! Oh so good, but oh so over 500 calories! On Day 6, we had New York style pizza at a wonderful little place down the street called Brozzini's. Today, we were back on the under 500 plan as I made the Pioneer Woman's Simple, Perfect Chili. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/simple-perfect-chili-recipe/index.html The calorie count is below: Nutrition Facts Serving Size 199 g Amount Per Serving Calories 319Calories from Fat 92 % Daily Value* Total Fat 10.2g16% Saturated Fat 3.8g19% Cholesterol 135mg45% Sodium 712mg30% Total Carbohydrates 7.7g3% Dietary Fiber 2.1g8% Sugars 1.9g Protein 47.3g Vitamin A 19% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 4% • Iron 36% Nutrition Grade A- * Based on a 2000 calorie diet

GF Snickerdoodle Blondies

This morning, my friend, Sherry tagged me in Facebook with a recipe for Snickerdoodle Brownies.  She asked if I would bake a batch!  I did a quick check of my pantry and found that I had all the necessary ingredients.  I put my own twist on them and used gluten free all purpose flour instead of wheat flour.  I doubled the recipe below so Sherry could take a batch home to here family.  The blondies took about 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake! This is a great alternative to making cookies.

GF Snickerdoodle Blondies:
(Serves 20)

2 2/3 cups GF all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the blondie batter. Bake for 25 minutes and remove from the oven when a toothpick put into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes prior to cutting.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 50 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 207Calories from Fat 89
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.9g15%
Saturated Fat 6.0g30%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 192mg8%
Total Carbohydrates 27.8g9%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g7%
Sugars 15.4g
Protein 2.3g
Vitamin A 6% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4% • Iron 1%

Day 4 of the Under 500 Calorie: Quinoa Veggie Fried Rice

Today's meal was another quick meal. It was about 30 minutes from start to table with most of the time spent on veggie prep. The recipe is from DamnDelicous blog. I flubbed a bit because I didn't have broccoli so I used cauliflower instead. It was still good!

Quinoa Veggie Fried Rice:
(Serves 6)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Sriracha, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add eggs and fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping only once. Let cool before dicing into small pieces.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, broccoli and zucchini. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Add corn, peas, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Add ginger and soy sauce, and gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in green onions and eggs.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 260 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 421Calories from Fat 106
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11.7g18%
Saturated Fat 1.8g9%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 62mg21%
Sodium 515mg21%
Total Carbohydrates

Day 3 of the Under 500 Calorie Challenge: Cilantro Lime Shrimp withGreen Beans and Roasted Potatoes

Today is Day 3 of my cooking challenge. Yesterday, we just had tuna sandwiches with veggie straws in case you are wondering :). This meal was super simple and quick, only 45 minutes from start to table! The potatoes are my on concoction while the shrimp and green beans were from Pinterest. Shrimp and green beans are favorite foods of my boys so this was a meal enjoyed by all! To check the nutritional information, I am using: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

Oven Roasted Potatoes:
(Serves 8)

Ingredients:
2 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, quartered
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Lawry's Season Salt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings. Heat the pan for 5 minutes in a 350* oven. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with remaining oil and seasonings. Place potatoes in a single layer on the hot pan and bake for 30 minutes. Stir once half way through the baking.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 117 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 135Calories from Fat 33
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3.6g6%
Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 11mg0%
Total Carbohydrates 24.0g8%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g10%
Sugars 1.3g
Protein 2.8g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 18%
Calcium 2% • Iron 7%
Nutrition Grade B+
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Cilantro Lime Shrimp & Green Beans:
(Serves 4 )
• Serving Size: 6 oz shrimp & 1-1/2 cups green beans Calories: 257.3 • Fat: 5.1g • Protein: 35.9 g • Carb: 17.4 g • Fiber: 4.1 g

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 lb shrimp, shelled and deviened
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
Salt and Pepper
6 cups green beans

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan, when hot add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. When the shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add garlic. Saute another minute or two until shrimp is cooked, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro. Serve hot.

In a separate pan, add 6 cups green beans, crushed garlic to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium high for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cover, cook for an additional 8 minutes. Uncover and cook until water evaporates. Serve hot on the side of shrimp.

Day 1 of the Under 500 Calorie Meal Challenge: Braised Chicken withTomatillos and Rice

Over the last year, my husband has lost over 22 lbs with his eye on losing another 15. Since Halloween, he has been on a plateau and although he is happy with no gain during the holiday season, he is ready for the numbers to start going down again! He already works out 3-4 days a week so I thought I would shake up our meals in order to push him off the plateau. I went on a pinning frenzy and found several low calorie meals. Tonight's meal was a recipe from Leite's Culinaria. It is braised chicken with tomatillos over brown rice.

This meal took about 90 minutes from start to table.  This was my first time to roast a pepper and cook with tomatillos.  I only used 2 peppers instead of the 3 called for in the recipe because I didn't want to have too much heat for the boys. Next time, I'll cut back on the chicken broth by about a 1/4 cup.


Braised Chicken with Tomatillos:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 pounds assorted chicken pieces, skin-on and bone-in or boneless and skinless
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 Anaheim or poblano chiles, fresh or canned, roasted, peeled, and finely chopped (in a pinch, 1 or 2 jalapeños will work)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
• 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  Cooked white rice or flour or corn tortillas, warmed

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the chicken until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• 2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the pan, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the stock or broth, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the roasted chiles, garlic, tomatillos, chopped cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken and any juices that’ve collected on the plate to the pan, cover, and simmer, turning once, until the chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and type. (Smaller pieces of chicken, boneless pieces, and white meat will cook more quickly than larger pieces, bone-in pieces, and dark meat.) Transfer the chicken to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
• 3. Add the lime juice to the sauce remaining in the pan and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If a smoother sauce is desired, pulse all or half the sauce in a food processor or blender until the desired consistency is reached.
• 4. Meanwhile, shred the chicken, if desired, discarding any skin and bone.
• 5. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces or shredded chicken on the platter and garnish with the whole cilantro leaves. Serve with rice or tortillas on the side.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 371 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10.9g17%
Saturated Fat 2.3g12%
Cholesterol 153mg51%
Sodium 338mg14%
Total Carbohydrates 8.1g3%
Dietary Fiber 2.1g8%
Sugars 1.0g
Protein 60.0g
Vitamin A 3% • Vitamin C 21%
Calcium 5% • Iron 16%
Nutrition Grade B+
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet