Bruschetta Chicken over Roasted Veggies

What a delicious and healthy meal! This definitely curbed my appetite for Italian food! I wasn't even missing pasta when I ate this! With buying the bruschetta instead of making it myself, I was able to save a lot of time on my busy week night!

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken breast
1 bunch of asparagus
1 purple onion
1 ball of mozzarella cheese
1 container of bruschetta (I used the Trader Joe's brand and it was delicious!)
1 tablespoon of EVOO
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper for garnish

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400. Chop the asparagus in half and chop up your purple onion. Place the asparagus and onion, along with the EVOO drizzled on top in a casserole dish and place in the oven.The vegetables will need about 35-40 minutes to cook. Next, grill up your chicken. While your chicken is grilling, warm up your bruschetta and thinly slice your mozzarella. Once the chicken is finished cooking, top with thin slices of mozzarella and top with the bruschetta. Plate up with the vegetables underneath and garnish with fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper. Dig in and enjoy!

125 Calorie Cinnamon French Toast

French toast is by far one of my favorite comfort breakfast foods. But at 464 calories and 16 grams of fat, Ihop's french toast is NOT worth it! Not to mention, they usually top it with sugar infused "fruit" and fatty whipped topping. It's so simple and easy to modify this recipe, and the best part is that it only takes a few minutes out of your busy morning routine!

Ingredients:

- 2 slices of Pepperidge Farm Light Oatmeal Bread (I use this bread and only this bread in my diet, it's magic at only 45 calories a slice!)

- 1/4 cup of fat free egg scramblers (you may need a little more, I just eyeballed it)

- a pinch of ground cinnamon

- a drop or two of vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a frying pan on a stove jet on medium heat and allow it to heat up for about 2 minutes (be sure to spray the pan with PAM.) Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl (excluding the bread) and mix well. Dip both of the sides of bread in the mixture then place in the frying pan. Repeat for the other slice of bread. Allow each side to cook for around 1 minute and flip. Allow around 1 minute for the other side. If both sides still aren't crispy, allow a little more time on both sides. Serve! You can top this with "I can't believe it's not butter" spray butter and light syrup... yum! Another idea is to top it with fruit (maybe strawberries) and fat free cool whip! I did the nutrition facts for 2 slices of french toast without any toppings. 

Nutrition Facts for 2 slices of French Toast without any toppings

Calories - 125

Carbs - 19

Fat - 1

Protein - 12

Sodium - 267

Fiber - 1

Zucchini "Pasta" Bolognese

So zucchini noodles seem to be all the rage on pinterest at the moment, so I decided to give them a try! Let me tell you, they turned out great! They obviously don't taste like pasta but had a similar texture and were super filling! I bought an OXO brand mandolin and it was a great purchase! I think I only paid $7 for mine at TJMAXX. If you are un-familiar with what a mandolin looks like, I have a picture of mine below.

Ingredients:

3 summer squash

2 zucchini 

1 tablespoon of garlic

Non-stick spray

1 lb of ground turkey meat

1 jar of sauce (I use my favorite sauce - Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce)

Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Cook the ground turkey as directed on package. While that is cooking, begin slicing your summer squash and zucchini with your mandolin. Be careful! The blades are sharp and I always end up cutting myself somehow. Once all of your squash is sliced, place in a medium to large sized sauce pan. Be sure to spray it first with non-stick spray. The noodles only take about 5-7 minutes to cook. I used tongs to stir them mid way. Be very careful because if you are too rough, the noddles will become mush.

When the noodles are almost done cooking, add your garlic and stir. Once the meat is all done cooking, add the jar of sauce to the mixture and mix well. Once everything is warm and finished cooking, plate up and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Now how easy was that? Feel free to add other veggies to the mixture! I was experimenting so I was playing it safe this time! I can't wait to try new combinations.

Seafood Sauté

Last night, I had to work with what I had on hand since it was below zero outside and there was no way I was going out to the grocery store! Surprisingly, this meal came out wonderful! It left me feeling full and pleased! This meal yields about 2 large servings. If  you are cooking for 4, double it.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 lb of fresh sea scallops
- 1/2 lb of fresh jumbo shrimp cocktail
- 1.5 cups of frozen shelled soy beans (edamame)
- 1 white onion
- 1 package of raw mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of EVOO
- 1 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Greek seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of beef broth base
- fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Rinse the scallops and shrimp and drain. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Butterfly and take the tails off the shrimp. In a medium frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO and place on medium.Chop up the onion and mushrooms to your desired size. Place them in the frying pan and top with seasoning, stirring occasionally.

In a separate frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of EVOO and place on medium. Add the scallops first and top with your seasoning. Allow them to sear on one side. Once they are well seared, flip them over allowing the other side to sear. At this time, add your butterflied shrimp and season both sides.

Going back to your vegetables. They should be just about done by now. Add in the soy beans and lower the temperature to low heat.

Now for the finishing touches. Add the butter and garlic to your seafood pan and toss well. In your vegetable pan, add the beef broth base and stir, allowing the beef broth to fully incorporate into the vegetables.

Plate up the vegetables and top with your seafood. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!

Asian Pasta Salad

My grandmother used to make a dish similar to this and it was one of my favorites! It's a mix between pasta salad and Chinese food - two of my favorites! Feel free to add chicken to this. Sometimes I do but was in the vegetarian mood today!

Ingredients:

- 1 can of diced water chestnuts
- 1 bunch of green onions
- 1 box of bow-tie pasta
- 1 Cup of low fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

Cook pasta as per instructions on box and drain. Slice up scallions and water chestnuts and place in a large mixing bowl.

 In a small mixing bowl, combine mayo and soy sauce and mix until smooth.

Combine the pasta, sauce green onion and water chestnuts in a large bowl and mix well. Let sit in refrigerator for 3 hours and serve cold. Easy enough right?

Nutrition Information for 1 serving - This recipe should make about 10 servings at 1 cup each

Calories - 216
Carbs - 31
Fat - 7
Protein - 7
Sodium - 409
Fiber - 3

Crab Meat Stuffed Mushrooms

These are such a hit whenever I make them! Sadly, there are never any leftovers! I think I'm going to start making a double batch and hide some aside for myself! Definitely a comfort food so I used real butter! It happens! This recipe calls for the same stuffing I use to make my Baked Stuffed Shrimp. You could put this stuffing on anything and make it taste delicious! 

Ingredients:

-30 mushrooms

- 1 stick of butter

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 2 sticks of celery

- 1 can of crab meat

- 2 sleeves of reduced fat ritz crackers (should equal about 64 crackers)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Chop up the onion and celery into little pieces and put in mixing bowl. Add butter to the bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted. While the butter is melting in the microwave, take a large baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Core out the mushrooms (take off the stems) and place on the pan with the round side facing down and the hole where the stem used to be facing up. Once the butter in the mixing bowl is melted, stir well. Add the crab meat to the mixing bowl. In a large ziplock bag, add all of the ritz crackers and seal tightly. Mash the ritz crackers until they look like small breadcrumbs. Pour the Ritz into the mixing bowl and mix together all of the ingredients until it is a thick stuffing-like texture. Begin making 1 tablespoon sized balls and form with your hands. Place firmly on the mushroom and continue until every mushroom has a stuffing ball on top. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is crispy looking and the mushrooms are cooked through.

Nutrition Information for 1 Stuffed Mushroom (this recipe should make 30 stuffed mushrooms)

Calories - 62

Carbs - 5

Fat - 4

Protein - 1

Sodium - 98

Fiber - 0

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Yummm, baked stuffed shrimp! One of my favorites! I hate when you go out to a restaurant and you pay about $20 for 5 pieces of shrimp, a little salad and rice! I made the same dinner for 6 people for about $30! This is one of my meals that I love to make at home because its cheaper, healthier and it tastes better! Now let's be honest, I do use real butter in this recipe so I'm not claiming it's healthy but definitely healthier than the amount of butter they use in restaurants! 

Ingredients:

-30 large shrimp cocktail already cooked

- 1 stick of butter

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 2 sticks of celery

- 1 can of crab meat

- 2 sleeves of reduced fat ritz crackers (should equal about 64 crackers)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Chop up the onion and celery into little pieces and put in mixing bowl. Add butter to the bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted. While the butter is melting in the microwave, take a large baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Butterfly the shrimp and place on the pan. Once the butter in the mixing bowl is melted, stir well. Add the crab meat to the mixing bowl. In a large ziplock bag, add all of the ritz crackers and seal tightly. Mash the ritz crackers until they look like small breadcrumbs. Pour the Ritz into the mixing bowl and mix together all of the ingredients until it is a thick stuffing-like texture. 

Begin making 1 tablespoon sized balls and form with your hands. Place firmly on the piece of shrimp and continue until every shrimp has a stuffing ball on top. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the stuffing is crispy looking.

Serve with your favorite sides! I served mine with rice pilaf and Not Your Average Wedge Salad ... and of course a nice big glass of wine!

Nutrition Information for 1 Piece of Shrimp (This recipe should make 30 pieces of shrimp)

Calories - 70

Carbs - 5

Fat - 4

Protein - 3

Sodium - 126

Fiber - 0

Not Your Average Wedge Salad

I just love a nice wedge salad! It so refreshing and satisfying!

Ingredients:

1/4 of an iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
1/8 cup of diced purple onion
1 slice of turkey bacon
2 tablespoons of fat free or light blue cheese dressing

Directions:

Cook the turkey bacon as directed on the package. Wash the ice berg lettuce and cut into quarters. Place 1 quarter on a plate. Chop up the tomato and onion. When the turkey bacon is finished cooking, crumble into pieces. Drizzle the blue cheese dressing on the ice berg wedge. Sprinkle and top with the bacon, tomato and onion. Serve with your choice of wine ;)

Nutrition Information - (This recipe makes 1 serving)

Calories - 127

Carbs - 12

Fat - 5

Protein - 10

Sodium - 143

Fiber - 1

Asian Chicken Wings

Who doesn't love chicken wings? Check out this twist on Chinese Chicken!

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon of soy sauce (low sodium)
-1 tablespoon of brown sugar
-1/4 cup orange marmalade
-1/4 cup of Asian sesame salad dressing
-2 Lbs of chicken wings

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450. Mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, orange marmalade and Asian sesame dressing. Once the oven is preheated, line a baking sheet with tin-foil. Place the chicken wings on the sheet so that they are not touching. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip over the chicken wings and brush with the mixture. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with your favorite dressing or eat plain!


Nutrition Information (for 1 chicken wing - this recipe should make about 13 chicken wings total)

Calories - 122
Fat - 7
Carbs - 6
Protein - 9
Sodium - 100
Fiber - 0

Watermelon Breeze

Looking for an easy low calorie cocktail for sipping on the deck? Try out this watermelon breeze! Yum!

Ingredients:

-1oz watermelon vodka
-1 oz watermelon pucker
-Diet Raspberry Ginger Ale
- Ocean view (optional)

Directions:

In a medium sized glass, fill half way with ice. Pour the vodka and pucker over the ice. Fill the rest with the raspberry ginger ale. Mix and serve! Ocean view is optional but highly suggested!

Nutrition Information for 1 drink:

Calories - 135
Carbs - 13
Fat - 0
Protein -0
Sodium- 0
Fiber - 0

*Please ensure that you and whoever you are serving this to is 21 or older!

Greek Orzo Summer Salad! 259 Calories Per Serving!

I made this recipe for a family get together on the beach. It was so refreshing and delicious! Everyone went back for seconds and some even went back for thirds! You could eat this as with a meal or a side. This was so pleasing that I made it twice in one week!

Ingredients:

- 1 box of orzo pasta
- 1/2 container of red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 container of yellow cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 purple onion
- fresh basil leafs
- 1 cup of pesto
- 1/2 cup of corn relish (sometimes this is hard to find - check near the regular relish. Stonewall kitchen has their own brand as well.)
- 1 cup of frozen peas (or pigeon peas)
- 6 oz of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Cook the orzo pasta as instructed on box. While the pasta is cooking, begin to chop up the tomatoes (yellow and red), onion and basil leafs. Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and place in a mixing bowl. Add the pesto and corn relish and mix well. Add the chopped up tomatoes, onion, basil leafs and frozen peas. Mix well. Let this sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Once you are ready to serve, mix up the mixture and garnish with the crumbled feta cheese. Yummmy!

Nutritional Information - (This recipe makes 10 servings. Nutrition information is for 1 cup)

Calories- 259

Carbs -  42

Fat - 5

Protein - 9 

Sodium - 201

Fiber - 4

***If you are making this recpie and adding it to your My Fitness Pal food diary, I have added it to the food database under "lowcalcook Greek Orzo Summer Salad" to make it easier to add!

Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

The pictures honestly say it all...yum! I spent the weekend in Maine at the beach house with my boyfriends family and my family. We all made appetizers and ate them on the front porch overlooking the ocean with a few glasses of sangria in hand ;) . I wanted to be able to make a somewhat healthy dessert to compensate for all of the alcohol calories consumed so I did some research. I found a similar recipe on Stuck on Sweet's blog but wanted to add my own stamp on it so I modified the recipe a little bit. This recipe was honestly finger licking good! It didn't even make it to the table without a few "samples" taken. 

Ingredients:

- 1/2 box of pillsbury funfetti cake mix

- 1.5 cups of fat free vanilla yogurt

- 1 cup of fat free cool whip

- 1 package of Jello cheesecake sugar free mix

- 2 tablespoons of rainbow sprinkles for garnish

Directions:

Combine the cake mix, yogurt, cool whip and Jello mix in a mixing bowl. Mix well until all ingredients are well mixed and the dip becomes thick. Garnish with sprinkles. If you are making this ahead of time, be sure to wait to add the sprinkles until the very end as they may melt and dye the dip. Serve with your favorite fruit or cookie. I served with fresh strawberries and mini Nilla wafers. Yumm! This dip was so good and sweet that it could also be used as frosting :)

Nutritional Information - (For 1 serving = 1/20 of recipe - about 2-3 tablespoons)

Calories - 98

Carbs - 19

Fat - 2

Protien - 1

Sodium - 163

Fiber - 0

Summer Shrimp Salad - 286 Calories

This recipe is great for summer! It cool, refreshing and chilling! I love how easy it is to make, just chop and mix! It leaves more time for laying by the pool and getting together with old friends! This would be perfect for a backyard cook out, because let’s be honest, who wants to slave over an oven all day? Not me!

Ingredients:

-          Shrimp Cocktail (18 Medium Shrimp)

-         ¼ of a white Vidalia onion

-         ¼ cup of garbanzo beans rinsed

-        1.5 oz of light Italian salad dressing

-        ¼ of a medium avocado cubed

-        8 cherry tomatoes

-        Sprinkle of cracked pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Chop up the shrimp cocktail and onion. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Rinse the garbanzo beans. Mix together the cut up shrimp, onion, tomatoes, beans. Add in the salad dressing and sprinkle the cracked pepper and sea salt. Mix well and serve! So easy! Now go enjoy your Summer Shrimp Salad out by the pool!

Nutrition Information (This recipe only makes 1 serving. If you want to make more, just modify the recipe!)

Calories – 286

Carbs – 17

Fat – 4

Protein – 5

Sodium – 160

Fiber - 4

Low Calorie Mexican Quesadillas!

Mexican is by far, one of my favorite comfort foods. Cheese and salt – yes please! My friend and I have ladies night every Tuesday night. We  go for a walk, catch up, watch chick shows,  drink wine and cook dinner. We take turns cooking and tonight is my night. We are both on a path of living a healthier lifestyle so we always cook healthy meals. Last Tuesday, she cooked one of my favorites – Hungry Girl Mexican Chicken! This week we still have a craving for Mexican, so I figured who doesn’t love quesadillas? They’re filling and easy to make! The best part about quesadillas is that there are endless options, so feel free to be creative and have fun!

Ingredients:

•           4oz of chicken
•          1/3 cup of shredded taco blend cheese
•          2 white corn tortillas (I bought the smaller ones for lower calories)
•          ¼ cup of black beans
•           2 tablespoons of mild salsa
•           ¼ of a Vidalia onion
•          PAM or non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Cook up the chicken according to instructions on package and cut it up into bite size pieces (I use a George Foreman Grill because it’s quick and easy.) Slice the onion to desired size and fry up in a medium frying pan with non-stick spray. Open the can of black beans and rinse them well. Now here comes the cool part. I have a Quesadilla maker which can be found at target for about $20. It makes it quick and easy with minimal clean up. If you do not have a quesadilla maker, use a large frying pan. Spray one of the tortillas with non-stick spray and place face down on your frying pan or quesadilla maker. Sprinkle your cheese, cut up chicken, beans, salsa and onion. Cover with the remaining tortilla and spray the top with non-stick spray. If you have the quesadilla maker, secure it shut at this point and let it cook until the edges are crispy and light brown. If you are using a frying pan, flip like a pancake once the bottom is light brown and the cheese is melty. Let the other side brown and get crispy and it’s finished. Cut it up like a pizza and serve! I like to garnish mine with light sour cream and guacamole – sometimes even salsa!

Nutrition Information – (This recipe makes 1 serving – does not include garnish of sour cream and guacamole)

Calories: 470

Carbs: 37

Fat: 14

Protein: 38

Sodium: 495

Fiber: 7

Super Easy Parmesan Crusted Chicken – 184 calories Per Serving!

My Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Steamed Brocolli & Brown Rice - 334 Calories & 9 grams of fat!

T.G.I. Friday's Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Tomato Salad & Tortellini - 790 Calories & 54 grams of fat!

I tried to make a copy-cat of the T.G.I.F’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I absolutely love theirs but looked up the calories and fat and almost fainted! I’d say it came pretty close to tasting like it, only I didn’t feel like I was in a food coma after eating it! I served mine with broccoli and brown rice and it was super filling and delicious!

Ingredients:

16oz of chicken breast (I like the ones that are cut thin – that way they don’t get chewy and dry when baking them)

-4 Tablespoons of light mayonnaise

-3 tablespoons of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

-2 tablespoons of Italian style or seasoned bread crumbs

- A sprinkle of Greek seasoning (or any other kind of mixed-spice to sprinkle on top)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cheese and bread crumbs and mix well. Lay out the chicken on a non-stick sprayed casserole dish. Cover the chicken in the mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Garnish with a sprinkle of Greek seasoning on top and serve with your favorite sides. Now how easy is that?!

Nutrition Information – (For (1) 4oz. serving, this recipe makes 4 servings.)

Calories : 184

Carbs: 2

Fat: 7

Protein: 29

Sodium: 350

Fiber: 0

Garlic Shrimp and Rice - 356 calories

This delicious  meal is quick and yummy!

Ingredients:

- 21 Jumbo shrimp (I used shrimp cocktail)
- 1 container of rice pilaf original - 3 cups (I use the Near East brand)
- 1 cup of raw mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic
- 3 tablespoons of fresh Parmesan grated cheese

Directions:

Cook the rice pilaf as directed on the package. In a medium sized cooking pan, add the mushrooms and cook on medium. Once they are cooked through, add the minced garlic and tail shucked shrimp. Lower the heat to low. Once the rice is done cooking, measure out 1 cup of the rice and place it on your individual serving plate or bowl. Top with 1/3 of the shrimp mushroom and garlic mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and serve!

Nutrition Information - (This recipe makes 3 servings - the nutrition information is for 1 serving)

Calories - 356
Carbs - 44
Fat - 7
Protein - 26
Sodium - 1077
Fiber - 1

Thai Lettuce Wraps - 317 Calories

This is a favorite in my household. We make this at least every other week because its so delicious and so easy to make!

Ingredients:

- 1 Lb ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts (you can also substitute with cashews)
- 2 tablespoons of peanut sauce
- 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup of shredded chives
- 4 Large lettuce leaves for wrapping

Directions:

Cook up the ground beef until cooked through. Chop up the chives and carrots and mix together with the peanut butter, peanuts and peanut sauce. Once it is well mixed, add to the frying pan with the ground turkey. Stir well and cook on low for 1 minute. Distribute mixture evenly throughout the 4 lettuce wraps. And that's it! Easy huh?

Nutrition Information - This recipe makes 4 servings, nutrition information is for 1 serving

Calories - 317
Carbs - 9
Fat - 20
Protein - 27
Sodium - 287
Fiber - 2

Taco Chicken Salad - 227 Calories!

I am finally back! Since graduating I haven't been able to find the time to update my blog, but I have been doing a lot of cooking so there are lots of recipes to be added! I made this meal as a post workout meal and it was delicious!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of canned corn (rinsed)
- 1/4 cup of black beans (rinsed)
- 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce
- 3 slices of avocado
- 2 teaspoons of low sodium taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- (2) 4oz chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup of fat free shredded cheese for topping

Directions:

Cook up the chicken and chop up into bite sized pieces. In a small mixing bowl, mix the mayonnaise and taco seasoning until smooth. In a larger mixing bowl, add the chicken, tomatoes, corn, beans and mayonnaise mixture and mix well. ***If you are making this and will be eating it right away, add the lettuce and avocado and sprinkle the cheese on top. ***If you are making this for the future, hold off on adding the lettuce avocado and cheese and don't add until you are ready to eat it.

Nutrition Facts - (This makes 2 servings. Nutrition information is for 1/2 of the recipe - 1 serving)

Calories - 227
Carbs - 11
Fat - 9
Protein - 27
Sodium - 579
Fiber - 4

Healthy Eggplant Parm! - 371 Calories per serving!

Who doesn't love a nice filling Italian meal? Well I know that the scale doesn't! I created a roasted and baked Eggplant Parm recipe that will feed your craving for Italian food, but won’t leave you feeling guilty after! Feel free to add other veggies to make it more filling!

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants

2 cups of sauce (I used Bertoli Olive oil and garlic)

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1 cup of low fat shredded mozzarella

2 Tablespoons of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

*Before you begin, first note that the size of the eggplants determines how much egg and panko mix you will need. This is based off of 2 regular sized eggplants. If you use 2 larger eggplants, you may need more egg and breadcrumbs.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplants horizontally, about ½ inch in thickness (you can either peel off the skin or leave it on, I leave it on for a little crunch.) Once all of your eggplant is sliced, lay them out on a casserole dish that is sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle EVOO and sprinkle the sea salt over the eggplant. Place in the oven and flip after 10 minutes. After 20 minutes or until roasted, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Lower the oven to 350. Whisk together your 2 eggs in a bowl and place the 1 cup of panko break crumbs in another bowl. Drench each slice of eggplant in the egg mix, and then coat in the panko breadcrumbs. Do this for all of the slices and place on a non-stick sprayed casserole dish when complete. Sprinkle ½ of your shredded cheese on top. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Serve on top of sauce (you can also pour the sauce over the eggplant if you want.) Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve. To get fancy, you can use asparagus to garnish like I did!

Nutrition Information for 1 serving (this recipe makes 4 servings)

Calories: 371

Carbs : 53

Fat: 12

Protein: 17

Sodium: 1262

Fiber: 11

Cheeseburger Soup - 194 Calories a serving!

I found a new healthy addiction: Cheeseburger Soup. Cheeseburgers are one of the things that I crave most on this diet... or "lifestyle change." Since they are pretty much terrible for you and so high in calories, I absolutely had to find an alternative. This soup is awesome, and even better the next day! This recipe makes 12 servings and will last all week... if you don't eat it all on the first night that is!

Ingredients: 

- 8oz Block of Kraft Velveta Cheese (cut into cubes)
- 1 lb of ground hamburg
- 1 white onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 cup of carrots
- 1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
- 1 can of Campbell's 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons of low fat sour cream
- 1.5 cups of skim milk
- 2 tablespoons of light butter (I used smart balance)
- 3 cups of water

Directions:

In a medium sized frying pan, add the hamburg. Cook on medium heat until there is no more red. Put aside. While the meat is cooking, chop up the onion, celery and carrots to desired size. Add the chopped up vegetables and 2 tablespoons of butter to another medium sized frying pan on medium heat. Cook until the onions are transparent. Chop up the Velveta cheese into small cubes.Once the vegetables are cooked, combine in a large sized pot with the cooked hamburg, cubed Velveta, both cans of soup, sour cream, milk and water. Stir well and place on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue to let this cook until it starts to bubble. All done :) Yummmm!

Nutrition Facts (for 1 cup. This recipe should make 12 servings.)

Calories - 194
Carbs - 11
Fat - 9
Protein - 17
Sodium - 568
Fiber - 1