Berry cake
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or blueberries (or a mix of both), divided
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Whipped topping, if desired
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat the butter and 2/3 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until blended. Stir in 1 cup berries and lemon zest. Spoon into prepared pan. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup berries and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes in the cake pan. Remove the cake from pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely. Top with whipped topping, if desired. Recipe from SwirlsOfFlavor.com.
Per serving: 213 calories, 3 grams protein, 7 grams fat (28% calories from fat), 4 grams saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, 39 milligrams cholesterol, 263 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.5.
Chicken parmigiana-style meatloaf
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 hours on low
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 eggs
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup no-salt-added marinara sauce, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken or turkey, onion, eggs, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1/2 cup marinara sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Using clean hands, mix lightly but well and press into a 9-by-5-by-3-inch baking dish. Place loaf pan in an oval 4- or 6-quart slow cooker. Spread the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; cook on low 8 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
NOTE: If you don’t have a large enough cooker, make a loaf “pan” from double layers of heavy-duty foil to fit your cooker.
Per serving: 260 calories, 28 grams protein, 10 grams fat (35% calories from fat), 4.1 grams saturated fat, 13 grams carbohydrate, 135 milligrams cholesterol, 397 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 1.
Chicken with herbs and vegetables
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: less than 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs with cheese
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 8-ounce package cremini mushrooms, halved
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pour crumbs into a flat dish. Coat chicken in crumbs. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet; cook chicken on medium-high 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Add mushrooms and bell pepper to skillet; cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic and salt; return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in basil and oregano. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 265 calories, 31 grams protein, 7 grams fat (25% calories from fat), 1.2 grams saturated fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 512 milligrams sodium, 4 grams fiber.
Carb count: 1.5.
Swiss steak
This also is known as smothered steak. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove visible fat and cut 2 pounds (1/2 inch thick) boneless beef round steak into 8 serving-size pieces. Pound to 1/2-inch thickness to tenderize. Place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with 1 medium thinly sliced onion, 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms and 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until steak is tender. Serve with your own mashed potatoes, green beans and mixed greens.
Pizza with peppers
Go meatless: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place 1 (12-inch) ready-to-bake whole-grain pizza crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 cup (2 cups total) shredded reduced-fat pizza cheese blend, half a 1-pound bag frozen (thawed and drained) pepper stir-fry mix (green, red and yellow peppers and onions) and the other 1 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice and serve with a spinach salad.