French country beef stew
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 2 1/2 hours
INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups water
1 package (about 1 ounce) dry vegetable soup mix
1 pound baby red-skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
8 ounces halved white mushrooms
1 pound asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Coarse salt and pepper
Combine beef, water and soup mix in stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours or until beef is fork-tender. Add potatoes and mushrooms to stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in asparagus; continue cooking, covered, 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cornstarch mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Per serving: 289 calories, 31 grams protein, 10 grams fat (31% calories from fat), 3.7 grams saturated fat, 18 grams carbohydrate, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Carb count: 1.
Chicken alphabet soup with peas
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: about 10 minutes
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups alphabet pasta
1 tablespoon butter
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
6 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to directions; drain and set aside. Melt butter in a medium pan. Add carrots and celery and cook on medium 7 to 10 minutes or until softened. Stir in broth, chicken, cooked pasta and peas; bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve warm.
Per serving: 258 calories, 15 grams protein, 5 grams fat (19% calories from fat), 2.1 grams saturated fat, 34 grams carbohydrate, 31 milligrams cholesterol, 216 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.5.
Lemon Orzo with peas and mint
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: less than 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in orzo and salt; cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Add peas and cook 5 more minutes or until water is absorbed and pasta is tender. Add butter, lemon juice and lemon zest; stir to blend. Sprinkle with mint. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 209 calories, 7 grams protein, 5 grams fat (20% calories from fat), 2.5 grams saturated fat, 35 grams carbohydrate, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 381 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Carb count: 2.5.
Mediterranean wrap
For each wrap: Place a burrito-size flour tortilla on flat surface. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup salad greens, 1/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 medium peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber, 2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives and 1 thin slice red onion; mix well and spread on tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crumbled Greek feta cheese and 2 tablespoons light vinaigrette. Bring bottom of tortilla to top and fold sides over.
Barbecue pizza
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon refrigerated barbecue shredded pork from a 20-ounce container onto a large, ready-to-heat pizza crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded 50% light cheddar cheese and arrange 6 green bell pepper rings on top. Bake according to pizza crust directions. Serve with a packaged green salad and peaches.
Sea scallops with pineapple salsa
For the salsa: Combine 1 cup diced (small) fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, 2 tablespoons diced red onion, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot and 1 tablespoon olive oil; mix well and season with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Chill at least one hour.
For the scallops: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Coat 1 pound sea scallops with cooking spray and then with coarse salt and pepper to taste. Add half the scallops to skillet; sear 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat with remaining scallops. Serve warm with salsa.
