Personal Apple Pies and Apple Muffins

I've got a freezer full of apples so I went looking for some low-cal dessert recipes. Here are two I've tried so far and like. Both are less than 150 calories per serving.

Personal Apple Pies 137 calories

2-3 medium apples
1 tbsp. brown sugar
5 tsp. vanilla extract
5 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp. corn starch
25 sheets Phyllo dough
1 tbsp smart balance

Core , peel and slice apples and place in pan with 1/4 cup water. Cook until done. ( about 5 minutes). Remove apples but leave water in the pan. Add brown sugar , cinnamon and vanilla to water and cook for 1 minute. Mix cornstarch with a small amouont of water and add to the mixture. Stir until it thickens and then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375.

Fold one Phyllo dough sheet in half lengthwise. Butter and add another sheet , butter and so on until you have a 5 layer stack. Place apple mixture on dough and fold into a triangle. Press lightly on the edges to seal. Brush lightly with melted butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Make about 5 servings

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Apple-Cinnamon Muffins 124 calories

1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup apples ( frozen , dried or cooked)
1/2 minature box raisins
3/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup applesauce
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg white
nuts optional

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin pan or use paper muffin cups.
Combine egg , butter , milk , vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes.

Pizza!!!!

OK , one can only go so long without eating pizza. It's just not natural to live your life without it. Here's what I came up with for dinner tonight. It was actually really yummy! If you have the time it's probably better to make your own whole wheat pizza crust . As it was I bought the cheap pizza crust mix at Save-A-Lot. I made this pizza on a cookie sheet so you may have to adjust the smart balance portion a bit depending on the pan you use.

1. Fix crust as directed.
2.get about 3 tablespoons of Smart balance and add garlic , oregano , basil , etc and nuke. Spread evenly on crust.
3. Spread a thin layer of lowfat ricotta cheese onto buttered crust.
4. Add healthy ingredients. I used chicken, turkey bacon , fresh mushrooms , diced fresh spinach , diced tomato , a small amount of mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
5. bake as per the crust instructions.

I figured a 1/3 of the pizza came to about 500 calories.

Soups

Winter Melon Meatball Soup

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 eggs

6 cups water
2 pounds Chinese winter melon (dong gua), cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slices fresh ginger
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
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DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle pork with cornstarch, cilantro, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Mix eggs into pork until completely incorporated and the mixture becomes sticky.
Combine water, winter melon, ginger, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, form 1 teaspoon-sized meatballs out of the pork mixture. Gently drop meatballs into simmering soup; simmer 8 to 10 minutes more until meatballs have cooked.


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TONS of fantastic recipes for soup and everything else can be found on the sparks people website. Here's the soup page link:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/great-recipes.asp?food=low+calorie+soup

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Cream of Broccoli Soup 88 calories

2 tbsp Olive oil
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Onion, chopped
2 Celery sticks, chopped
2 bunches Broccoli, cleaned and
Chopped
6 cups Water
2 Vegetable or chicken bouillon
Cubes
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tbsp Butter

Lettuce Wraps

Here are a few ideas for lettuce wraps. This 1st recipe is 14 calories plus the calories from the meat you use.

Ingredients
1 leaf green lettuce (approximately 6in by 4 in)
2 slices of oven roasted turkey breast or other lunchmeat
2 slices tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon diced red onion
1/4 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon mayonnaise
salt and pepper
Directions
1.Lay the lettuce leaf flat.
2.place turkey slices on first.
3.add red onions.
4.evenly distrbute mayo and mustard.
5.lay tomatoes on top.
6.season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7.tightly roll up the lettuce leaf.

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Asian Chicken 247 calories

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
16 lettuce leaves
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp pickled ginger, minced
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
8 ounces water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
Rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry. Set aside.

Saute chicken chunks in skillet until cooked thoroughly. Remove from pan, set aside.

Cook onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, vinegar (and chile sauce if you'd like) and stir. Add water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue to cook until onion begins to wilt (about 2 minutes).

Add in the chicken, and serve wrapped in lettuce leave

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Korean Style Steak 199 calories

1 pound(s) flank steak
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1 cup(s) diced peeled cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup(s) thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon(s) brown sugar
2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon(s) lime juice
1/2 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
1 head(s) Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Calorie Chart

This website is the best I've found for finding calories for foods.

http://www.caloriecountercharts.com/chart1a.htm

Lightening Up Old Favorites

There are ways to lighten up many of our higher calorie favorites. Many don't require much more than a few small substitutions.

CHILI is always a favorite during the winter. Use ground turkey instead of hamburger. Tomatoes , onion , chilis , and light on the beans and you've got a great bowl of soup that won't make you feel guilty. I toss in any leftover black bean salsa or throw in a can of corn in the mix from time to time.

TACOS are always a great meal especially during football season. Instead of shells just make a taco salad. Use ground turkey and spice the turkey up with chilli powder , onion powder and garlic powder. Go easy of the cheese and sour cream and you'll be fine. Also , fish tacos can be very tasty.

ENCHILLADAS are my son's all time favorite meal. I make a pan of regular ones for the non-dieters and I make another pan for the dieters. I used grilled chicken on a corn tortilla. I add some form of white cheese , roll them up and cover in homemade salsa verde.

STUFFED PEPPERS: Always good and healthy. Just use brown rice and ground turkey. I jazz it up a bit by tossing in more spices
and extra tomato.

POPCORN: air popped with no butter sound about as appetizing as eating cardboard? Try some of the many popcorn flavorings
out there. Many of them are as little as 5 calories for 2 tablespoons.

BAKED GOODS: Many recipes can be made healthier just by substitution the oil with low-fat plain yogurt or applesauce. Don't
be afraid to experiment.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE: My husband loves going to the Fair to get these. Turkey sausage isn't a very spicey substitute but you can
make it up a bit in the sauce. Grill peppers and onions until tender. Add diced tomatoes and slow cook.
Open up the spice cabinet and go at it! I add salt , pepper , red crushed pepper , celery seed , oregano and
a dash of garlic powder.

OMELETS: I use egg whites instead of the whole egg. Also , if you're not good at making omelets just make it a scramble. Go
heavy on the veggies and light on the cheese. Top with salsa if you like. I've found some great combos strictly
by accident. I tossed together spinach , extra firm tofu (diced small) , mushroom and tomato. I topped it with
bean sprouts.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF TOFU!! Tofu is easy to add to any meal and it takes on the flavor of whatever it is you're eating. I prefer
the extra firm tofu for the texture. Toss it in with grilled veggies , stir-fry or omelets for some
extra nutrition.

Stir-Fry

The great thing about stir-fry is that it's hard to throw together a bad meal. Try mixing it up from meal to meal so it doesn't become boring. ( I do this for salads as well) Here are the items I toss in. Use one meat or several. Also , experiment with different stir-fry sauces. Go with a sesame seed oil instead of virgin olive oil ; szechuan spicy sauce instead of soy ,etc. I always make brown rice with my stir-fry meals. Add some egg drop soup as a low-cal opener. Soup before a meal helps to fill you up with few calories to help you from over eating.

Pork ( lean stew cut meat)
shrimp
chicken
crab or lobster


celery
carrots
peppers
onion
broccoli
bamboo shoots
water chestnuts
bean sprouts
mini corns (canned in oriental section)
asparagus
mushrooms
cabbage

Spices

Don't be afraid of spices. The right combination of spices can turn dull into WOW! Here are some of my latest experiments that turned out wonderfully.

Lemon Pepper: Found this at Big Lots for 50 cents. I lightly covered flounder fillets with this and the flavor was amazing!

Red Crushed Pepper: I took some shrimp and sauteed them in garlic butter ( smart balance) and added a few dashes of the
pepper.

Blackening: This seasoning can be added to chicken , fish or shrimp. One of my favorite salads in a blackened chicken salad.

Soulful Seasoned Salt by Sylvia's Restaurants: Found this at Kroger's on clearance. I wish I would have bought all they had on
the shelf! Absolutely wonderful on chicken!

Dried Ranch Dressing mix: Coat chicken with the mix for a tangy kick.

Weber brand Veggie grill: Steamed veggies get boring real quick. Toss some veggies on the grill and sprinkle some of this
seasoning on them for a surprising kick. ( little goes a long way)

Weber brand Gourmet Burger : Turkey burgers don't have much taste to them. Sprinkle this on the burgers and you'll forget
all about regular hamburgers.

Birthday Cake Ideas

Tom's birthday was a couple of days ago and I had to figure out how to make a low calorie cake for him. After all , birthdays deserve cakes. I wasn't sure what he'ld like so I made two. The first was a simple angel food cake. I bought an angel food cake at the local bakery. ( about 160 calories a slice). I covered the cake with sugar free cool whip ( 20 cal. for 2 tbsp.) and covered with sliced strawberries. Light and delicious.

Jello Cake

For this cake I bought a regular white cake mix. Instead of oil I added about 1/2 cup plain yogurt. I also used egg whites instead of while egg (if it calls for 3 eggs use 4 egg whites). I caked as directed. After the cake was done I removed from oven and poked holes all over the top of the cake with a large fork. I then mixed a large box of sugar free jello. I then poured the jello slowly over the cake . Place the cake in the oven for about 4 hours. Add sugar free cool whip if you like. Even with the cool whip this is about 150 cal. per serving.

Black Bean salsa

This is great for adding to chicken breast to give it an extra kick. I made a huge bowl of this and what was left I added to my turkey chili the next day.

1 can black beans , rinsed
1 can corn
1 medium onions , diced
2-3 tomatoes , diced
jalepeno peppers ( as many as you like....3 is normally what I use)
1 tsp. lemon juice

Toss this together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil . Add salt , pepper and oregano to taste.

Shrimp-Stuffed Tomato Bake

6 large tomatoes 180 calories
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1/4 pound shrimp , chopped
1 cup orzo pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese , divided
1/4 tsp basil

Core and seed tomatoes. Sprinkle salt into tomatoes and place upside down on several paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes. Press paper towel into tomato to remove remailing moisture.
2. Preheat oven to 375. In skillet , saute broccoli , onion and garlic in 1 tbsp. of olive oil until onion is tender. Add shrimp , orzo , pine nuts , 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese and basil.
3. Spoon mixture into tomato. Sprinkle with olive oil and remaining parmesan cheese. Bake 20 minutes until top in golden brown.

Spaghetti Squash

2 large spaghetti squash 120 calories per serving
2 tbps. smart balance
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup reduced sour cream
1/3 cup half and half
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs , lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray pan with non-stick virgin oil. Cut squash longways and scoop out seeds. season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Remove and reduce heat to 375.
2.Melt butter in skillet.Add peppers , cook until soft. Set aside. Blend sour cream , 1/2 & 1/2 , flout , boullion , thyme and pepper in bowl. Stir in cheese and green onions.
3. Scoop squash from shell into large bowl and break apart. Add sour cream mix. Stir in bread crumbs and egg and mix well. Spread mix into prepared baking dish. Bake 35 minutes.

Chicken and Tomatillo Carnitas

1 tbsp. olive oil 220 cal per serving
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 tsp. cumin
3 medium tomatillos , chopped
3 cups chicken , cooked
1 1/4 cup green salsa
1 cup corn
10 corn tostados
1 can vegetarian refried beans


1. Heat oil in skillet. Ann onion , cumin ans salt. Cook until onions soft.
2. Add tomatillos , cook until soft. Add chicken , salsa and corn. Cook 5-8 minutes or until chicken is heated.
3. Heat beans. Spread over tostados. Top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese , lettuce and tomato if desired.

Manicotti Florentine

8 manicotti 420 cal. serving
2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 egg white
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups spaghetti sauce
fresh chopped parsley

1. Cook manicotti. Drain and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; saute mushrooms , onions , and garlic. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in egg white , cheese and salt and pepper. Stuff spinach mixture into pasta.
3. Spread 1 cup of sauce into baking dish. Place pasta on top of sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over pasta. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Top with parsley.

What this is all about

I have tried a number of diets over the years and never lasted more than a week or so. The problem was that I didn't know how to cook my old favorites in a healthy way. Instead I was discouraged by bland foods and gave into my cravings. As the weight kept adding on health issues began to creep up including high cholesterol , high blood pressure and back pain. I know I cannot continue on being overweight and am determined to get down to a healthy weight. In order to do this I've made this as simple as I possibly can. I try to keep my calorie intake at 1,6000 a day.( As weight comes off this number will have to be adjusted but this is what works for me at the moment.) I have eliminated all red meat from our diet. We eat fish , shellfish , ground turkey and chicken only. I have a glass of water or tea with me at all times. Water is very important to the diet process. I also eat 3 small meals with a small snack in between each. This keeps the body burning calories.
One thing I have had to learn is what it feels like to actually be full. Being full doesn't mean feeling stuffed to the gills. It is more of a feeling on contentment. I've also worked at eating slower. Enjoy the food and you'll also know when you are full sooner.
I've also eliminated all alcohol from my diet. Trust that this isn't an easy thing for me but it's absolutely necessary for weight loss. Cigarettes are still present but only 4-5 a day. For me this works for now. I hope to eliminate them as well soon but I'm not going to sabotage myself by biting off more than I can chew.
Exercise has been a difficult thing to get moving on , for me. I've been suffering some major back and neck pain for over a week. I have been doing yoga which feels wonderful and helps stretch the muscles and reduce tension. I've also thrown in a few workout tapes in the mix as I've felt able to. I LOVE Billy Blank's tae bo tapes and Richard Simmons video (yes , I'll admit it , but the music makes it fun). I've joined the YMCA and am going to start by walking the track and swimming a few laps. As my back problems get worked out I'll then add the weight lifting. After all , I don't want to be skinny with 3 yards of loose skin hanging off me!
As I find recipes that work for me I will add them on her. I am open to other people's recipe suggestions and will try them and give credit on here for them.