Fri Lunch (low-cal) – LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD

Pineapple Angel Food Cake – Two Ingredients

I saw this recipe on Sew Many Ways and thought it would work out well as a low-fat, low-calorie recipe. This is an easy two-ingredient cake that is delicious plain at only 166 calories per serving. It can also be enhanced by the addition of whipped topping, fruit, sauce, etc. This makes a large 12-serving, 9×13-inch cake.

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2012/08/pineapple-angel-food-cake-recipe2.html

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Servings: 12
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16 oz. box of Angel Food Cake mix (Betty Crocker)
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple in juice

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F
Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan

In a large bowl, place the cake mix and crushed pineapple with juice. Do not add any water specified on the package.

Stir mixture to blend – it will foam up.

Pour into greased pan and bake @ 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until top is dark golden brown.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Cut into 12 servings with a serrated knife or use two forks to pull apart pieces.

Can be served plain or is extra good with a dab of whipped topping and a little pineapple ice-cream topping.

Based on 12 servings, the plain cake is 166 calories. Two tablespoons of light whipped topping and one teaspoon of pineapple topping adds 38 calories for a total of 204. Not bad for a really delicious dessert.

French Onion Soup and Tart Cherry Dessert

My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch. I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories. Here is what we enjoyed last Friday.

I adapted this recipe from one in a cooking newsletter I received awhile back (can’t remember source) and found this amount of soup is perfect for the 4 servings I like to make for our Friday lunches. I leave one serving on the table for my daughter who works at home and take three servings in a picnic basket to my youngest daughter – two for our lunch and an extra for her to use another time. This is the first recipe I’ve seen for French Onion Soup that uses chicken broth and since I cook a chicken almost every week, I have a lot of broth in the freezer. I also freeze any leftover broth from roast beef and this enhances the flavor of the soup quite a bit. I also think the red wine vinegar gives the soup a special boost in taste. Canned broth can also be used but the flavor may not be as good.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Servings: 4
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• 1-½ lbs. sliced yellow onions (7 cups)
• 1 Tlsp. olive oil
• Approx. 2 Tblsp. water
• Chicken stock, plus beef broth and water as needed, to make 4 cups total
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• ¾ tsp. salt (taste before adding especially if using canned broth)
• 1 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
• 4 slices sturdy bread (I used my homemade Italian bread*)
• 4 half-slices Swiss cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Saute onions in olive oil, add water.

Stir often on medium low heat until onions are soft. Turn heat to low, stirring occasionally, cooking for an hour or so until onions are sweet and lightly browned. Add small amounts of water as necessary to keep onions from sticking to pan.

In a large pot, place chicken stock/beef/water to make 4 cups.

In a small bowl, whisk until smooth the flour, brown sugar and salt.

Add red wine vinegar. Bring stock to a boil and add the flour mixture, whisking well and bring back to a boil. Boil on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add sautéed onions last. Pour into 4 oven-proof bowls and top each bowl with a slice of sturdy bread, a half-slice of Swiss cheese and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese.

Broil for a minute or so, watching carefully so the cheese doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.

4 servings

*Italian Bread

Based on 4 servings, the soup with bread and cheese is 264 calories.

For dessert, I made a light but very flavorful dessert from an old Shaker cookbook, We Make You Kindly Welcome.

TART CHERRY DESSERT

Servings: 4
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3 oz. package of cherry Jello
1 cup boiling water
½ cup cherry brandy/liqueur or cherry juice
1 Tblsp. Lemon juice
1 cup frozen tart cherries
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, place cherry Jello and pour boiling water over. Stir for 2 minutes. Stir in cherry liqueur/juice and lemon juice. Pour into a 9-inch dish and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, pour cherries into a small bowl and add sugar.

Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours while gelatin mixture is chilling.

Remove gelatin mixture from refrigerator (should be partially set) and stir in cherry/sugar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for another 2 hours.

4 servings

Can be served plain or with a bit of whipped topping.

Based on 4 servings, this dessert is 192 calories. Add 20 calories if using lite whipped topping (2 Tblsp.).

The soup and dessert were a good combination – low in calories and very tasty.

Slow Cooker Caper Chicken

This is a tasty low-fat dish adapted from one I found on The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The count for the chicken and sauce according to my Diet Power software based on 6 servings is: 144 calories, 9.18 g fat, 56.9 mg cholesterol, 1.54 g carb, 0.2 g fiber. Additions such as rice and vegetables should be counted separately.

SLOW COOKER CAPER CHICKEN

Servings: 4-6
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2 boneless-skinless chicken breast halves, each cut into 3 sections
¼ cup lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
3 dashes Greek seasoning
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup steak sauce (A-1 Steak Sauce)
2 Tblsp. capers in brine

Place the chicken breast pieces in the slow cooker. Pour lemon juice over the top and sprinkle with black pepper and the Greek seasoning.

In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter with the steak sauce and capers. Pour this mixture over the chicken breast pieces and cook for 4-6 hours on low.

I served this chicken and sauce with rice and steamed broccoli.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Cider Sauce

This is my take on a two-ingredient pumpkin/cake mix cake that is making the rounds of food blogs. I didn’t have yellow cake mix and used chocolate fudge instead with the addition of some pumpkin pie spices. The sauce is a simple confectioners’ sugar mixture using apple cider or apple juice.

This is a really nice dessert and 5 Weight Watchers Points/Plus based on 15 servings.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CIDER SAUCE

Servings: 15
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For the Cake:

18.25 box of chocolate cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge)
15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

For the Sauce:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tblsp. apple cider*
Approx. 1 Tblsp. warm water

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Grease a 9×13 baking pan

To make the cake:

Place the contents of the boxed cake mix, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger into a large mixer bowl and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

Spoon batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To make the Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, apple cider*, and warm water to make a smooth sauce.

*If you are lucky enough to have Boiled Cider on hand, it makes a tangy, full flavored sauce. I bought mine online at King Arthur Flour.

While still warm, cut cake into 15 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature with a tablespoon of the Cider Sauce.

Servings: 15

For 15 pieces with 1 Tblsp sauce:

Diet Power: 189 calories, 2.5 g fat, 41.3 g carbs, 2.0 g fiber, 2.1 g protein.
Weight Watchers Points/Plus: 5

Impossible Vegetable Brunch Pie – 5 Points/Plus

This recipe is adapted from one in a 1983 Bisquick folder, No Time to Cook. I first made the dish in May of 1989 when my Mother came to my house for lunch. She liked it very much – very creamy. I’ve made it many times since then and when reduced fat ingredients are used, it’s nice light diet lunch.

IMPOSSIBLE BRUNCH PIE WITH VEGETABLES

Servings: 6
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1-½ cups steamed vegetables (I used broccoli and carrots)
1 cup light dairy sour cream
1 cup low-fat creamed cottage cheese
½ cup Bisquick
¼ cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 tomato, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Grease or spray a 9-inch pie pan. I used a favorite pie pan that my mother got in exchange for Wilson milk labels and had my toddler children give to me for Christmas in 1956.

Spread the steamed vegetables in the pie pan.

Beat sour cream, cottage cheese, Bisquick, butter and eggs until smooth – 15 seconds in a blender or 1 minute with a whisk or hand beater. Pour this mixture on top of the vegetables.

Top with tomatoes (I used some of my home-grown cherry tomatoes, halved), and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean . Cool for 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges to serve. 6 servings.

According to my DietPower software, based on 6 servings the count is: 194 calories, 9.2 g fat, 15.6 g carb, 1.3 g fiber, 12.2 g protein.

Weight Watchers – 5 Points/Plus

Two-Ingredient Lemon Cake – 4 Points/Plus

This is my version of a recipe that’s been making the rounds of the cooking blogs. It’s an easy two-ingredient cake that is only 4 Weight Watchers Points/Plus for a decent size piece. I used the “super-moist” type with pudding in the mix and got a very good, soft cake that is a real treat for someone who has been dieting all week.

TWO-INGREDIENT LEMON CAKE

Servings: 12
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1 (18 ounce) box dry yellow cake mix (Betty Crocker Super-Moist – 18.25 oz.)

12 ounces diet lemon soda (Sierra Mist lemon/lime)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray the bottom only of a 13×9 baking dish

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine dry yellow cake mix and diet lemon soda. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to blend, then on medium speed for 2 minutes to thoroughly mix batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan …

…and bake @ 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until cake is golden brown and tests done when a tester is inserted in the middle.

Allow cake to cool on a wire rack. Cut into 12 pieces.

Cake may be served plain with the following nutritional count: per serving: 160 calories, 1.5 g fat, 35 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein. Weight Watchers Points/Plus – 4

Cake may be served with 2 Tblsp. light whipped topping: 180 calories, 2.5 g fat, 38 g carb, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein. Weight Watchers Points/Plus – 5

Or cake may be served with one tablespoon of a reduced fat Lemon Cream Cheese Sauce (recipe below): 209 calories, 3.5 g fat, 41.9 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 1.2 g protein. Weight Watchers Points/Plus – 6

Servings: 12 slices of cake

LEMON CREAM CHEESE SAUCE

4 oz softened low-fat cream cheese
1 Tblsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice
½ cup confectioners’ sugar

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and lemon juice (a fork works well for this). Blend in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

About 10 one-tablespoon servings.

So far, I have only tried this cake, but here are some other suggested combinations:

Orange cake with diet Mountain Dew
Cherry chip cake with diet cream soda
Angel or yellow cake with diet orange soda
White cake with diet peach soda
Spice cake with diet lemon-lime soda
White cake with diet ginger ale
Chocolate cake with diet cherry soda
Devils food cake with diet cola
Chocolate cake with diet vanilla cola
Devils food cake with diet vanilla cola
Chocolate cake with diet root beer
Marble cake with diet cream soda
Lemon cake with tangerine Diet Rite
Chocolate cake with diet Dr. Pepper

Note that the nutritional count might change a bit depending on what kind of cake mix is used. The count per serving can be found on the side of the box. Mix and bake cake according to package directions for the type of pan you are using.

Teriyaki Chicken on a Bed of Spinach

This is my version of my favorite dish at The Works Brick Oven restaurant in Loveland, Ohio. It’s very flavorful and tasty and I like to stir the spinach leaves into the hot mixture to steam them. My version is a good substitute and low in fat/calories, but there’s nothing like being in the old building in historic downtown Loveland (Ohio) enjoying the real thing.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN ON BED OF SPINACH

Servings: 4
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1 tsp olive oil
Large sweet onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed fork tender
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
½ tsp. sesame oil
Dash or two of Mongolian Fire Oil (optional)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
5 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves
4 tsp. roasted sunflower seeds
2 Tblsp. dried cranberries

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion slices over medium heat until translucent.

Add mushroom slices and cook until mushrooms start to soften. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Stir in steamed broccoli, cooked chicken breast, sesame oil, fire oil and teriyaki sauce.

Divide spinach leaves among 4 plates…

…and spoon piping hot chicken mixture on top of the spinach to allow it to steam. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

Based on 4 servings, nutritional count per my DietPower software is: 148 calories, 5.5 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 1.1 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Weight Watchers Plus/Points: 4

For dessert, we had an old favorite – Apricot-Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

Warm Chicken Salad with Cantaloupe

This recipe is adapted from one in a favorite cookbook, Elsah Landing (Grafton, Illinois). Their recipes are from their restaurant menu, so attention is paid to making the dish look pretty.

WARM CHICKEN SALAD WITH CANTALOUPE

Servings: 4
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½ cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast, warm
3 green onions with tops, diced
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup light mayonnaise (Hellman’s Olive Oil)
1/2 Tblsp. soy or teriyaki sauce
½ tsp Greek seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
1 ripe cantaloupe melon
Leaf lettuce – 4 pieces

Spray a small non-stick skillet and saute mushrooms until tender, drain. Place mushrooms in a medium bowl, Add chicken, onions and olives.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, soy/teriyaki sauce, Greek seasoning and pepper. Gently fold the dressing into the chicken mixture.

Cut chilled melon into rounds, remove seeds/rind. Place lettuce leaf on each plate. Put melon round on top and fill center with warm chicken salad.

4 servings

It’s really great to take a bite of cold melon along with some of the warm chicken salad.

Nutritional count according to my Diet Power software: 169 calories, 6.8 g fat, 12.7 g carb, 1.3 g fiber
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4

To round off the meal, we had Toffee Angel Food Dessert – 5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

Tuna and Veggie Pasta Salad

I’ve been making this salad for several years, adjusting and lightening it as I went. It’s a good salad to make for a quick lunch, using whatever fresh vegetables are on hand. A nice-sized serving is 6 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

TUNA AND VEGGIE PASTA SALAD

Servings: 6
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2 cups of dry pasta, cooked and drained
½ cup light mayonnaise (Hellman’s Olive Oil)
1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
3 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
Sprinkling of salt and pepper
One cup of assorted chopped vegetables (red or green peppers, tomatoes, onion, celery, cucumber, etc.)
One 5 oz. can of white albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
2 Tblsp. chopped cilantro (optional)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the pasta along with the chopped vegetables and tuna. Add cilantro or other fresh herbs if desired.

Chill for at least an hour.

Makes 6 generous cups of salad

A serving of 1-1/3 cups = 235 calories, 8.0 g fat, 31.4 g carb, 9.2 g protein, 1.5 g fiber

Weight Watchers Points Plus = 6

For dessert, we enjoyed Grandma Martha’s Rice Pudding and Lemon Sauce – 6 Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

Chicken and Noodle Salad–5 Weight Watchers Points/Plus

I found the recipe for this salad on Delightful Country Cookin’. The original called for Ramen noodles, but they are much too high in fat. I substituted Lo Mein noodles, but any kind of thin pasta would work fine.

Chicken and Noodle Salad

Servings: 4
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3 oz. Lo Mein noodles (about 2 cups dry)
2 cups tart apple, chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
½ cup red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. sour cream
2 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water, then drain again.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles, apples, chicken, peas, and pepper.

In another bowl, combine olive oil, sugar, minced onion, ground mustard, poppy seeds, salt, sour cream and apple cider vinegar.

Pour dressing over noodle mixture and toss. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Yield: 8 one-half-cup servings or 4 large servings

Nutritional count based on 8 servings:
Per my DietPower software: 189 calories, 10.2 g fat, 15.8 g carb, 1.5 g fiber, 9.0 g protein
Weight Watchers Plus/Points: 5

For dessert, we had some delicious Butterscotch Kahlua Mousse.