One-pot chicken meatballs with jasmine rice
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes; standing time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, divided
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 orange or red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
1 cup instant jasmine rice, uncooked
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, egg, panko, green onions, 1 tablespoon ginger and the salt. Shape into 16 meatballs. (Wet your hands if mixture is too sticky.) Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet on medium-high. Brown meatballs, turning occasionally; set aside. In same skillet, cook peppers, onion, garlic and remaining ginger 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil. Add reserved meatballs; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (165 degrees internal temperature). Stir in uncooked rice and pineapple. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Top with cilantro. (Adapted from www.swirlsofflavor.com.)
Per serving: 471 calories, 32 grams protein, 16 grams fat (31% calories from fat), 5.3 grams saturated fat, 48 grams carbohydrate, 129 milligrams cholesterol, 407 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Carb count: 3.
Southwestern pork and pepper stir-fry
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked chopped pork loin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
Toss pork with chili powder and cumin; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add onion and both peppers; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add pork and stir-fry 2 minutes or until hot; serve immediately.
Per serving: 155 calories, 20 grams protein, 5 grams fat (30% calories from fat), 1.1 grams saturated fat, 7 grams carbohydrate, 52 milligrams cholesterol, 64 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 0.5.
Creamy linguine with shrimp and asparagus
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces linguine
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons Tuscan or Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish (if desired)
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Meanwhile, melt butter in large deep skillet on medium heat. Add asparagus and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until asparagus is softened. Add cream, seasoning, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Stir shrimp into skillet. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking water; toss to coat well. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (if desired).
Per serving: 382 calories, 21 grams protein, 19 grams fat (45% calories from fat), 11.8 grams saturated fat, 32 grams carbohydrate, 161 milligrams cholesterol, 444 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.
Roasted peppered pork loin
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub 1 (2- to 3-pound) well-trimmed boneless pork loin with a mixture of 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary. Place pork in a shallow pan. Roast 40 minutes to 1 hour (20 minutes per pound) or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Bean tacos
Go meatless tonight. Spoon heated canned vegetarian refried beans into warm taco shells. Serve with bowls of shredded lettuce, diced avocado, chopped onion, salsa and reduced-fat sour cream. Add packaged yellow rice on the side.
All-American baked spaghetti
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large, nonstick skillet on medium; add 1 medium chopped onion, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 pound lean ground beef; cook 10 minutes or until onion is softened and beef is no longer pink; drain. Add 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes (with liquid), 1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, break 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti into thirds; place pasta in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water and meat mixture; stir to combine all ingredients. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover, stir and bake 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup shredded 50% light cheddar cheese; bake uncovered 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
