Fast, Fabulous & Under 500

Summer BBQ- Turkey Mushroom Burgers

2011-06-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight we made yummy Turkey Mushroom burgers. Paired with Garlic Parmesan kale chips and Roasted Corn on the Cob, this was a fantastic filling meal for. . . .you got it!

Total Caloric Damage: 500 calories

The turkey burger recipe is courtesy of one of my favorite healthy eating recipe sites: EatingWell.com

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_mushroom_burgers.html
It was SUPER moist, very flavorfull and didn't really need any condiments.

This was Husband tested and totally approved.

Don't like mushrooms? I promise that you won't even know they're in there.

I made 7 burgers out of the recipe so I re-caculated the calories based on the bread I used (Orowheat Double Fiber) and 7 servings for a total of 160 calories per patty.

I also used Sara Lee DeLightful Wheat Buns...Only 80 calories each

I even added 1/2 slice swiss cheese (60 cal), a dollop of Kraft Olive Oil Mayo (15 cal) and topped it off with red leaf lettuce and a slice of tomato (about 5 cal)

Kale is a nutrient rich green leafy vegetable that, when lightly tossed with Olive Oil and seasoning ( in this case fresh minced garlic, a pinch of seasoning salt and a sprinkle of parmesan) and baked, takes on the texture and flavor of a potato chip...totally cool! (50 total cal for 1.5 oz)

We roasted the corn on the BBQ and I ate it mexican style with about 1/2 Tbl Olive Oil Mayo and 1/2 Tbl parmesan for about 135 cal total.

For those of you that got out the calculator and did the math = 505 calories. So I know the blog advertises UNDER 500, but this is pretty darn close :)

Rainbow Hits: Green, Yellow, Red

Nutritional Bonus:
*Kale is considered to be the most nutritious vegetable in the world (says Wikipedia) with extremely powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory. It is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium

Chicken Divan

2011-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is a healthful twist on an old favorite. Chicken, broccoli and carrots in a creamy sauce over a bed of rice, topped with bread crumbs and cheese and (in my version) baked in one dish for a quick, satisfying make ahead meal, full of taste and comfort with easy clean up.

In this version I used:
*Olive Oil Mayo (half the calories of the regular stuff and it tastes NORMAL)
*Brown Rice in the place of white rice
*98% fat free chicken soup
*Panko or Japanese style Bread crumbs (also lower in calories than their traditional counterpart)

Super Yummy...not so pretty

Total Caloric Damage: 495 Calories for 1/4 of a 8x8 pan

In this version I also added in some Crimini Mushrooms (also known as Baby Bellas). They are a great addition to any dish as they are full of all kinds of great nutrients, low in calories and Oh So Tasty.

Rainbow Hits: Green, Orange
Nutritional Bonus: Whole grain points for the brown rice
Mushrooms = Superfood

Recipe: For a 9x13 pan
1 cup brown rice
2lb chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cans 98% fat free cream chicken soup
1 C Olive Oil Mayo
2 C broccoli flouretts
4 large carrots cut into coins
1/2 tsp curry powder
1tsp lemon juice
2C Panko style bread crumbs
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook rice. While rice is cooking, steam broccoli and carrots al-dente, saute chicken in a pan (salt and pepper to taste, use PAM cooking spray to save calories here). Lightly coat 9x13 pan with PAM type spray. Layer cooked rice, steamed broccoli, carrots and cooked chicken over the rice. Mix the cream of chicken soup, mayo, curry powder and lemon juice in a bowl and spread over the top. Then spread bread crumbs and cheese over the top. (This can all be done the night before and refrigerated until the next day) Then Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and creamy mixture is bubbling. ENJOY.
* You can also make this in two 8x8 pans and freeze one (prior to baking) for a meal at a later date.

Chicken Fajita Lettuce Wraps

2011-06-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

Green, yellow and orange bell peppers & sweet onions sauteed in *Canola oil.

Chicken with a dash of chili powder, and lemon juice.

Red Leaf Lettuce Cups

Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Naturally Yours Fat-Free Sour Cream (the only fat-free brand I'll use, the rest taste like wet chalk)

"Wholly" Medium salsa

Total Caloric Damage: 487

So I also learned that we are supposed to "Eat the Rainbow" of fruits and veggies so as to obtain all different vitamins and minerals. The rainbow colors (for those of you who don't remember) are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Nutritionally speaking, Blue, Indigo &Violet hues are created by the same varieties of nutrients and thus are one category.

With each meal I will post the colors counted, as well as try to highlight other nutritional gems as denoted by an *.

Eat the Rainbow checklist: Yellow, green, orange

* Canola oil has a higher temperature threshold than olive oil for sautéing, but also has omega 3's. It's better than regular vegetable oil.

Welcome!

2011-06-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fast & Fabulous dinners all under 500 calories. A few things you should know about the meals I post.

1. I like good food

2. I dislike flavorless "diet" food

3. I don't appreciate things that taste like cardboard or chalk

As a result, I try to use naturally low or no calorie ingredients to lend flavor to the meals. If I have used a "diet" item it is in my opinion one of the best and in most cases, has been approved by my junk food loving husband.

I hope you enjoy!