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20130530-170957.jpgEvery now and then, I like to make something cheesy and comforting yet without all the calories. I started making this “skinny sauce” and like to use it for my Au Gratin and Macaroni and Cheese. I made 4 portions in this pie pan and calculated it as 175 calories per portion.

  • 2 medium/large red potatoes or 3 cups of potato slices
  • 1 teaspoon of Savory (or Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning) for herbal flavor
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

Slice Potatoes into wedges. For 4 portions, I sliced 2 medium to large red potatoes. I boiled them in about 3 cups of water with the savory, salt and pepper. Cooked to about 8 minutes, cooked through yet not mushy.20130530-171035.jpg

 

 

I drain the water from the potatoes, yet keep a little. Like 1/4 cup of the herbed water. Then I make the sauce in the drained pan.

  • 1-2 tablespoons or pats of butter
  • 1/4 cup herbed water from potatoes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • pinch of cracked salt
  • 1 Tablespoon of Cream Cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon of Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese

Heat butter in pan, add water and milk. Let boil and add salt. Add Cream Cheese and Yogurt or Sour Cream and break down with a fork. Let boil for 3 minutes or so and add Parmesan as you stir and thicken the sauce. 20130530-171216.jpg

 

Heat Oven to 375 degrees. Arrange your Potatoes in a Pie pan. I like to save some of the herbs from the water. Pour Sauce over Potatoes in Pan. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan and cracked pepper or cayenne. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on high broil for 5 minutes or raise heat to 400 to crisp the top. 20130530-171250.jpg

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This idea is so simple and can be done with steak or bacon. It’s a great idea for a barbecue appetizer or a side dish.

Simply pre-steam the asparagus, unless you want them to be crunchy. They are much better if they are cooked yet still have a crispness to them.

Wrap thin slices of meat around the Asparagus spears. Sometimes it’s best to use two stalks if they are skinny. try not to wrap it too much, so that the meat gets cooked throughout.

Cook on Medium for about 8 minutes, rotating after 2 minutes on all sides. You can go more or less depending on your meat temp preference.

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I have always loved beets, but my recent love of pickling reintroduced me to making beets at home.  Recently I have roasted golden beets and I have boiled them. These are the boiled golden beets.

It’s easy to boil up beets to make beet salads or anything else. This combination is very low in fat and calories, as well as being nutritious.

To boil the beets add:

  • 1-1/2 pounds beets, trimmed, skinned and cubed
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

I add a sprinkle of Italian Herbs, Savory or Herbs de Provence to the boil for flavor.

Place the beets in a large saucepan and add water to cover and the lemon juice or vinegar. This will help to keep the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the pot and let cool.

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It’s very simple, but the flavors work very well together. It also makes a nice plate.

  1. In one pan, add water about 1.2″ high. Add asparagus and boil by turning. Leave somewhat crisp, although cooked.
  2. In another pan prepare a fried or poached egg. I prefer to leave mine as runny as possible. 
  3. Plate the asparagus, add shredded cheese or parmesan and plate the egg on top.
  4. Add salt and pepper to finish

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I love plantains and wanted an easy healthy appetizer, so I came up with this. I used my homemade Chipotle Sauce, which can be substituted for any hot or chile pepper sauce.

I used 1 large plantain, sliced them into thin round “chips”. I sprayed a flat grill pan with spray oil and cooked them on Medium heat until they were mostly cooked. Then I popped them into a pan and put in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes while I made the dip.

Use 1/4 of a package cream cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of Chipotle Sauce/Chili Sauce or Hot Sauce. Mix in Salt and Cracked pepper.

Wait until your plantains are semi-cooled before topping them with the Cream Cheese or they will melt. Top with garnish, like bell pepper or cilantro sprig.

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One day I decided to make my own chips and I was glad I did. These turned out to be our favorite little chips for homemade dips.

Cut corn tortillas in 8 triangle pieces using a knife or kitchen scissors. Heat oven to 350 Degrees and prepare baking sheets with wax paper or parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Arrange the chips and bake for 15-20 minutes. We like them a little more crispy, so 20 usually works.

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