Cook light for the holidays to save room for treats
The holiday season began with Halloween candy and the first batch of treats in my office. So far there has been a mix of leftover Halloween candy, pumpkin bread and apple cake. And there is sure to be more to come in the next two months as people share their favorite holiday food traditions. Add to that the baking I’ll be doing for Thanksgiving and Christmas – and I always have to sample what I make before passing it on – and it really calls for cutting some calories elsewhere.
   With that in mind, I’ve been seeking out some lighter dinner options to make up for the extra snacking during the day. I have never been a fan of eating the same meal each day or sticking with things that don’t have much flavor such as steamed vegetables and grilled chicken breast. Instead I like to go for light meals that have a lot of flavor with less calories and fat.
   One of the keys to making low-fat food taste good is using the right seasonings. We always have Italian seasoning and garlic when we are making pasta or cumin, oregano and chili powder for when we are making Mexican fare. Seasonings add a lot of flavor without adding extra calories so even when a recipe doesn’t call for any of those items, feel free to add them to taste.
   Another key is adding fresh ingredients. The recipe for chili grande calls for frozen green peppers and onions, but we used fresh vegetables instead since it didn’t take much more time to chop those up than to use frozen ones. We will often use fresh tomatoes, too, instead of a can of diced tomatoes, especially when we had our garden during the summer.
   The recipes below combine just a few ingredients to make a healthy meal and in some instances do it in a clever way. For the chili grande, it is served in tortilla bowls, which are often served in Mexican restaurants as a deep-fried concoction for taco salad. These tortilla bowls just call for a glass bowl and a microwave – the bowls are cooked until they hold their shape, but aren’t burnt. The tortilla bowls held up to the beans and still had a texture and taste that made it worth eating, without being deep fried.
Chili grande
Recipes courtesy of Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook
¾ lb. beef stew meat, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 tbsp. salt-free Mexican seasoning
2 -15 ½ oz. cans chili beans in zesty sauce, undrained
1 – 14 ½ oz. can no-salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 – 10 oz. package frozen chopped green pepper (about 3 c.)
1 c. chopped frozen onion
Fat-free sour cream (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Makes six 1 ½ c. servings
   Place first six ingredients in a 4- or 5-quart electric slow cooker; stir well.
   Cover and cook on high setting for four hours. Or, cover and cook on high setting for one hour; reduce to low setting, and cook for seven hours.
   If desired, spoon chili into tortilla bowls, and top with sour cream and cilantro.
Calories: 256; fat: 4 grams; protein: 22.9 grams; carbohydrates: 38.3 grams; fiber: 9.4 grams.
Tortilla bowls
   For each bowl, line a 1 ½-quart glass bowl with one 10-inch flour tortilla. Prick holes in the bottom of the tortilla with a fork. Microwave at high two to three minutes or until crips. Remove from oven, and let cool slightly in glass bowl. Remove tortilla from bowl. Place tortilla bowl in a shallow dish; spoon chili into tortilla bowl. Garnish.
Calories: 161; fat: 3.5 grams; protein: 4.3 grams; carbohydrate: 27.6 grams
Skillet ziti and vegetables
2 c. low-fat sun-dried tomato and herb pasta sauce
2 c. water
8 oz. ziti pasta, uncooked
1 – 10 oz. package fresh stir-fry vegetables (about 2 ½ c.)
¾ c. (3 oz.) shredded provolone cheese
   Combine pasta sauce and water in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta and vegetables. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
   Remove heat, and sprinkle with cheese.
Calories: 244; fat: 4.9 grams; protein: 11.2 grams; carbohydrate: 39.6 grams.
Mediterranean pasta with zucchini
8 oz. penne or ziti pasta, uncooked
1 14 1/2 ox. can diced tomatoes, with basil, garlic and oregano
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained
1 medium zucchini, sliced
2 tbsp. sliced ripe olives
Pita bread
Fresh pears
   Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
   While pasta cooks, combine tomatoes and remaining three ingredients, in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered for five minutes.
   Spoon tomato mixture over drained pasta.
   Serve with pita bread and fresh pears.
   Makes four 2-cup servings.
Calories: 363; fat: 3.6 grams; protein: 14.4 grams; carbohydrates: 67.5 grams
