The best low cal recipes

Indian-Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew (Vegan)

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons curry powder, preferably hot Madras (see Note)
1 teaspoon garam masala, (see Tip)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1-pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt, (optional)

PREPARATION
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add curry powder, garam masala and mustard seeds and toast, stirring, until the spices begin to darken, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl.
Add oil, onion, garlic, ginger and salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas, water and the reserved spices. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 198 calories; 6 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 8 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 358 mg potassium.

Quinoa & Smoked Tofu Salad (vegan)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 6- or 8-ounce package baked smoked tofu, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

PREPARATION
Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled quinoa, tofu, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mint; toss well to combine.

NUTRITION- 6 servings 1 1/3 cup each
Per serving: 228 calories; 10 g fat ( 1 g sat , 6 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 9 g protein; 4 g fiber; 376 mg sodium; 418 mg potassium.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS
3 large dried pasilla (negro), ancho or New Mexico chiles (see Note)
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
4 cups water
1 large sprig epazote (optional)
1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
4 cups chopped chard, spinach or kale leaves
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 cups roughly broken tortilla chips
3/4 cup shredded Mexican melting cheese, such as Chihuahua or asadero, or Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar (optional)
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges

PREPARATION
Holding the chiles one at a time with metal tongs, quickly toast them by turning them an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until the aroma fills the kitchen. (Alternatively, toast chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing them flat for a few seconds then flipping them over and pressing again.)
When cool enough to handle, stem and seed the chiles, break them into pieces and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chiles.)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 9 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to the blender with the tomato mixture. Process until smooth.
Return the pot to medium heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add broth, water and epazote (if using). Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer.
Drain tofu, rinse and pat dry; cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook in a single layer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes total. Add the tofu to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add chard (or spinach or kale) to the soup and season with salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
Ladle the soup into 8 soup bowls. Divide avocado, tortilla chips and cheese (if using) among the bowls. Serve warm, with lime wedges.

NUTRITION- 8 servings, 1 cup each
Per serving: 208 calories; 13 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 545 mg sodium; 400 mg potassium.

Weight Watchers Chicken Pot Pie

ingredients:
Servings: 4-6
1 cup Bisquick reduced-fat baking mix
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup


1 Preheat oven to 400.
2 Spray 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray.
3 Mix together veggies, chicken and soup. Pour into casserole dish.
4 In another bowl, mix bisquick, milk, and egg. Pour over top of chicken mixture.
5 Bake for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden.

6 servings=4.5 points.
4 servings=6.5 points

Weight Watcher Quick & Easy Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:
Servings:4
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dry sherry or 2 tablespoons white wine
1 (12 ounce) jar fat-free beef gravy

1 Combine ground beef, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and mix well. Shape into 4 half-inch thick patties.
2 Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, place over medium heat until hot. Add patties, cook 4 min per side or until they reach desired doneness. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3 Increase heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, onion and thyme to skillet, saute 3 minutes. Add sherry, saute 1 minute. Stir in gravy, return patties to skillet. Cook 2 minutes or until heated through.
4 Serve with a steamed veggie.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 249.5
Total Fat 7.9 g
Sodium 774.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.3 g
Dietary Fiber 1.2 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 29.4 g

Grilled Chicken Bruschetta (low carb)
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes (skinnytaste.com)

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 4 oz chicken + tomatoes • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6
Calories: 236.8 • Fat: 8.5 g • Protein: 32.4 g • Carb: 6.8 g • Fiber: 1.3 g • Sugar: 0.5 g
Sodium: 182.9 mg (without the salt)

Ingredients:
3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced
1.25 lbs (8 thin sliced) chicken cutlets

Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes.
Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo and additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and let it sit at least 10 minutes or as long as overnight. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.
Season chicken with salt and fresh pepper. Grill the chicken cutlets on your indoor or outdoor grill, top with bruschetta and serve.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 126 • Fat: 10.5 g • Carbs: 5.9 g • Fiber: 2.5 g • Sugar: 0 • Protein: 2.8 g

6 cups uncooked cauliflower florets (about 1 large) cut small
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt and fresh pepper
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Combine cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper well so all the florets are coated and seasoned. Place in a large shallow roasting pan and place in the center of the oven.

Roast for about 25-35 munites, turning florets occasionally so they are evenly cooked. Remove from oven and top with Parmigiano Reggiano and additional salt and pepper if needed.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
Servings:15
1 (29 ounce) can peach slices, undrained
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 (3 1/8 ounce) box dry vanilla instant pudding mix
1 lb strawberry, stemmed and quartered
1 banana, sliced
1/2 pint blueberries
1 bunch grapes (I use the red ones)
1 -2 tablespoon sugar (optional)


1 In a large bowl, combine peaches, pineapples, and vanilla pudding mix.
2 This includes the juices from the cans.
3 Mix well until pudding is dissolved.
4 Stir in strawberries, banana, blueberries, grapes, and sugar if desired.
5 Chill.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 73.9
Total Fat 0.2
Sodium 86.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18.7 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 15.8 g
Protein 0.5 g

I can't take credit for all the recipes... I use a lot of different websites: food.com, allrecipes.com, diabeticliving.com, skinnytaste.com, cookinglight.com, health.com, and books i use: the 'eat this, not that' series, hungry girl, fix it and forget it series, cooking light magazine and cooking light cookbooks, and many more!