Vanilla Meringue

Tried this recipe last night.  Not too bad to give you a sugar fix!  You could change it up a bit by adding chocolate or peanut butter I would think

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar 
• 1 vanilla bean 
• 4 large egg whites 
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 225°.
• Place 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to sugar; discard bean. Stir well with a whisk.
• Beat egg whites, cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until peaks form
•  Gradually add regular sugar and then powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating mixture until stiff peaks form. Gradually add vanilla bean mixture and extract; beat until just combined. (Stiff peaks will take on the consistency of marshmallow cream.)
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; secure to baking sheet with masking tape. Drop batter by level tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake at 225° for 90 minutes or until crisp. 
• Turn off oven and cool in oven for 90 additional minutes. 
• Store in an airtight container.

Makes 60 cookies
Approximately 13 calories per cookie

Before baking (not pretty at all)

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

 We had these along with a small steak, the cheesy veggie stacker and a small salad.  Total calories for the meal as about 600.  This recipe is really quite simple and the marinate adds a nice flavor to the shrimp. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic in a shallow glass dish or large heavy plastic bag. Add shrimp; cover dish or close bag. Marinate in refrigerator no longer than 30 minutes.

Remove shrimp from marinade; discard marinade. Thread shrimp on metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers in water at least 20 minutes to keep them from burning). Spray one side of shrimp lightly with non-stick spray; season with salt and pepper.

Oil hot grid to help prevent sticking (I used cooking stray---be careful). Grill shrimp oil side down on a covered grill, over medium-high briquettes, 6-8 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, spray top with cooking spray, season with salt and pepper, then turn and continue grilling until shrimp firm up and turn opaque throughout.

Makes 6 servings

Approximately 125 calories per serving

Strawberry Angel Food Cupcakes

Ingredients:  


One package Betty Crocker angel food cake mix
1-1/4 C cold water
Whipped Cream
Slice strawberries


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and put rack in middle of oven


Beat cake mix and cold water in metal bowl on low speed for 30 seconds and then medium speed for one minute


Slice strawberries lengthwise and into several sections


Put liners in tins and put enough batter in each cupcake to cover the bottom of the mold 


Place one or two strawberry slices into each mold and then finish filling to 3/4 full  with batter


bake for 25-30 minutes until batter starts to turn golden brown on top


Remove from pans and cool


When fully cooled,  frost with whipped cream, garnish with one strawberry slice on top


Makes about 30 cupcakes


Store in refrigerator for best taste 

Low Calorie Taco Salad in a tortilla Bowl

Save calories by omitting the Sour Cream.   I didn’t have the best of luck with the bowl turning crisp.  It was edible but not the same as the nice crunchy goodness of a fried tortilla bowl

Ingredients:

La Tortilla Factory, Large Original Low Carb Tortilla
Lettuce , 2 cups
Morningstar Farms or Boca crumbles- 1/3 Cup
Kraft Fat Free Natural Cheddar Cheese, shredded- 2 TBS

Taco Seasoning Mix - 1/2 tsp
Chunky salsa - 2 tbsp
Fat Free Sour Cream 1 tbsp

Directions

"Preheat Oven to 425

Spray a small round casserole dish with nonstick spray. Gently push tortilla into the dish, so that the sides of the tortilla fold in and rest along the sides of the dish. The tortilla should take on a bowl or "shell" shape.

Bake tortilla bowl in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until crispy. Set aside until cool.

Place soy crumbles in small microwave-safe dish and cover with taco seasoning mix. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well. Microwave for an additional 10 to 20 seconds.

Fill the tortilla "shell" with lettuce and top with seasoned soy crumbles. Sprinkle cheese on top. Finish with salsa and sour cream. "

I like to prepare everything while the shell cooks, fill the shell then put it back in the oven for like a minute for the cheese to melt a little and everything gets a little warm.

Number of Servings: 1

Calories per serving:  about 180

Chicken Zucchini Couscous

This is one of our favorites at this point.  It doesn’t taste like diet food and it is a pretty good sized serving

 

You could delete the chicken in this recipe and replace with other vegetables such as mushrooms, peas, carrots…..you get the idea.   

           

Ingredients

Cooking spray
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
4 medium zucchini, sliced
1 can (abt 14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (abt 14 oz) fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous

Directions

Spray large, deep skillet with cooking spray; heat over med-high heat. Cook and stir chicken 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add zucchini, tomatoes, broth and seasoning. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 7 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

Makes 4 servings of at LEAST 1 1/2 cups.

Calories per serving: Approx. 245